Having lost to Bulgaria last time around, Sweden will be looking for three points against Belarus this weekend in order to get their qualifying campaign back on track, with Janne Andersson’s side now just a point clear of their closest rival. Opponents Belarus have struggled to make any form of impression in Group A, collecting just five points from their seven matches.
World Cup 2018 Qualifying – Borisov Arena, Barysaw – Sunday 3rd September – 17:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 14/5 at Betway |
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Belarus
SwedenMatch Preview
Despite already defeating Belarus comfortably early on in qualifying, Sweden will be well aware that a trip to Barysaw will be substantially more difficult, with the Scandinavian side in desperate need of a positive result. Sweden have been in excellent form in front of goal in Group A, meaning that this could well be another exciting encounter for both fans and betting punters.
Belarus Team News & Form
Belarus come into this game off the back of a defeat to minnows Luxembourg, with head coach Igor Kriushenko looking for a much-improved performance against Sweden this weekend. A lack of goals has been their main issue, with the pressure on Dzyanis Laptsew, with the 26-year-old yet to open his international account from seven appearances. Elsewhere, Nikita Korzun and Pavel Savitski are the main creative options for Belarus in midfield, while Captain Egor Filipenko will look to help keep things tight at the back. Their only victory in Group A came against Bulgaria back in June, with a goalless draw against France showing that they are a team that compete with the best on their day.
Sweden Team News & Form
Despite twice coming from behind against Bulgaria, Sweden still came away from their last Group A encounter with nothing to show for their efforts. Mikael Lustig and Marcus Berg both got their name on the scoresheet to no avail, with RB Leipzig star Emil Forsberg failing to convert a first half penalty. The midfielder is certainly the most creative player for the visitors, with Ola Toivonen hoping to add to his 11 goals at international level in attack. Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof will again line up at the heart of the defence, with manager Andersson undoubtedly hoping for a better team performance this weekend. Despite lacking the firepower of legend Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sweden are still a more than capable team.
Head to Head
The fact that Belarus have never beaten Sweden should certainly come into consideration when looking at placing a bet on this match, with the Scandinavians having won all four previous meetings between the two teams. As previously mentioned, Sweden comfortably came out on top by four goals to nil last time around, with Forsberg finding the back of the net twice. Before then, Sweden last beat Belarus in an international friendly encounter back in 2010.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite their status as the visiting team, it is Sweden that are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers, with William Hill offering them odds of 4/6 to collect all three points. Meanwhile, the home side attract odds of 4/1, which is certain to attract many punters given Sweden’s last result away from home.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for this match is to back the ‘Draw No Bet’ market at Ladbrokes, with customers able to bet on Sweden at odds of 2/7.