Sweden vs Slovakia Odds & Prediction – Euro 2020 Group E June 18
By John Dillon in Soccer News
Published:
- Second round of games in Group E kicks off in St.Petersburg at 9:00am ET on Friday
- Slovaks lead table after defeating Poland while Sweden battled for a draw against Spain
- See the odds, best bet & prediction for Sweden vs Slovakia Euro 2020 Group E
Slovakia will aim to extend its surprise leadership of Euro 2020’S Group E when it takes on Sweden in St. Petersburg on Friday. Sweden vs Slovakia kicks off at 9:00 am EST Friday morning.
In the first round of fixtures, the Slovaks scored a 2-1 win over Poland. Sweden, meanwhile, ground out a goalless draw against Spain, which won the competition in 2008 and 2012.
There could be a tight and hard-fought encounter in prospect with both Sweden and Slovakia currently enjoying six-match unbeaten runs.
Sweden vs Slovakia Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden vs Slovakia | SWE -1 (+240) | SLO +1 (-105) | SWE -125 | SLO +380 | DRAW +230 | Ov 2.5 (+138) | Un 2.5 (-170) |
Odds as of June 17 at FanDuel
Slovakia will stay on top of the group even if they draw with Sweden because fellow group sides Spain and Poland do not meet until Saturday.
However, despite Slovakia’s good start, it is the Swedes who are rated as the favorite by FanDuel at -125.
Slovakia is, meanwhile, priced at +380 with the draw at +230.
Furthermore, Slovakia is the lowest-ranked team in the group and is rated at number 36 by FIFA.
The oddsmakers have clearly been influenced by the disciplined way in which Sweden stifled Spain’s creativity in the opening round.
>> Get 2x Your Winnings on Any Player to Score at the Euros at FanDuel Sportsbook <<
Swedes Will Step Up Attack
But they also expect them to be more expansive this time around, with a win required to bring qualification for the last 16 into sight and with Sweden never having lost to Slovakia in five previous meetings.
In a defensive masterclass, Sweden was hugely dominated by Spain which enjoyed no less than 85-percent possession.
Sweden look to young Isak to help make up for injured Ibrahimovic https://t.co/Y5mUhXWsIf pic.twitter.com/pV92vFfRhX
— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) June 13, 2021
But the Swedes held firm at the back even though they recorded the lowest possession statistics in European Championships history at just 14.9-percent.
Now coach Janne Andersson has indicated that his team will take a more attacking approach in its second fixture.
Slovakia might have the coldest kit at the Euros ❄️ pic.twitter.com/lbCwLlO681
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 14, 2021
Above all, the draw looks to be the best value on offer here.
That certainly looks likely with both Sweden and Slovakia having performed so well at the back in their opening fixtures.
Sweden vs Slovakia Statistics
| 0 | Wins | 1 |
| 1 | Draws | 0 |
| 0 | Losses | 0 |
| 0 | Goals | 2 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
The Juventus winger, Dejan Kuklusevski, is set to return to Sweden’s line-up to bolster its forward threat after he missed the opening game while recovering from COVID-19.
A win for Slovakia will confirm its place in the last 16. And it will be keen to nail that into place before the meeting with group favorite Spain in the final fixture.
https://youtu.be/ZEN3nVn-KW0
Slovakia was, however, helped by some good fortune in its defeat of Poland.
Firstly, Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny scored an own goal to put Slovakia ahead.
Then, Karol Linetty equalized for the Poles. However, it subsequently had midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak sent off the 62nd minute.
Skriniar Pounced for Slovaks’ Winner
The Slovaks quickly took advantage as the momentum of the match changed with Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar scoring the winner in the 69th minute.
That red card could furthermore influence tomorrow’s game in Russia.
⚽️ | #EURO2020
Super #Skriniar in #POLSLO: Scored the winning goal and was named Star of the Match! 👇 https://t.co/atPBFDbKtW
— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) June 14, 2021
Sweden had to work extremely hard to contain Spain and it may be a little fatigued. Slovakia. meanwhile, had the advantage of playing against only 10 men for more than half an hour against Poland.
Similarly, the Slovaks produced an impressive defensive display to harness the threat of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored 48 goals for Bayern Munich last season.
Sweden has conceded just one goal while winning five times and drawing once during 2021.
The last time these teams met was in a 1-1 friendly draw in Sweden in October 2018.
In total, there have been three draws and two wins for Sweden – including a 6-0 victory for the Swedes at home in a friendly in 2017.
To further underline Sweden’s defensive strength, it has conceded just one goal while winning five times and drawing once during 2021.
Group E is one to watch 🇵🇱🇸🇰🇪🇸🇸🇪
(➡️ @FedExEurope) #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/jiHNr6u5lr
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 14, 2021
Meanwhile, Slovak defender Skriniar’s three international goals have come in his last three competitive appearances for his country.
For Sweden, the main goal-scoring threat is likely to come from the Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak who hit the net 17 times in La Liga last season.
But, in conclusion, it seems likely that opportunities will be hard to come by in the fixture with an all-square result the most likely outcome.
Pick: Draw +230
Sports Writer
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
