Sweden vs Georgia
A homecoming is in order for Zlatan Ibrahimovic when the World Cup 2022 festivities will be at Solna this Thursday.
Sweden face Georgia in their first game of the qualifiers and they are more than eager to start their campaign on a great note given how loaded Group B is.
Other than this match, we also have an exciting Group B encounter between Greece and Spain. And rounding out the bunch will be Kosovo, who are also hungry to shock the world.
In last year’s UEFA Nations League, the Blagult had a disastrous campaign after placing last in Group A3. They’ve only won once in the group stage and they’ll be looking to get back on their feet to book their spot at the Qatar showpiece.
Georgia, on the other hand, almost made it to the later stages after a fairly impressive run in Group C2. However, their efforts weren’t enough as they couldn’t muster a single win in the group phase.
A quick look at the SBOTOP betting odds see this as an easy triumph for the Swedes, but I do believe that Georgia can pack quite a bite.
Talking Points
Sweden are locked and loaded
The Swedes come into the qualifiers optimistic given that they have a stacked deck.
When the World Cup 2022 news dropped that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is making his return after a five-year hiatus, that certainly raised eyebrows for the team and their opponents alike.
The AC Milan striker showed a different side to him during his most recent public appearance as he teared up when asked about his return. The usually stoic Ibrahimovic shared that leaving his family back at home made him emotional about his recent call-up.
Obviously, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the biggest name in Janne Andersson’s squad, but the Blagult also possesses several talented stars.
RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg, Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak, Mainz’s Robin Quaison, and Juventus’ Dejan Kulusevski make up much of their attacking core than can generate goals on any given night.
Their most recognisable name at the back is Victor Lindelof, who’s had an up-and-down season so far with Manchester United.
Lindelof was being bothered by his back injury for much of this season, but he is finally improving over these last few weeks.
The 26-year-old centre-back played a key role in Manchester United’s shutout of AC Milan in the second leg of their Europa League tie, so he’ll come in here with some confidence.
Georgia are filled with young upstarts
Willy Sagnol will use a youth-laden squad in the qualifiers as he tries to lay a strong foundation for the future.
Veterans Valeri Qazaishvili, Murtaz Daushvili, and Valerian Gvilia were not called up for some reason, giving way for the younger players to soak in more experience.
Their attacking front will be led by the trio of Giorgi Kvilitaia, Saba Lobzhanidze, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. And they will be supported by Jaba Kankava and Tornike Okriashvili in the midfield.
The key man to watch out for will be Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as he is being sought after by the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, and AC Milan. He is only 20 years old and he has poured in two goals and three assists in 18 appearances for Rubin Kazan this term.
History
Thursday will mark the first time that these two squads meet in a competitive international game. In fact, they have not even played in a friendly with each other before.
Should he feature in this contest, it will become Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first-ever international game after first retiring in 2016.
The 39-year-old striker is Sweden’s all-time leading scorer with 62 goals in 116 games and has been described as the greatest Swedish player of all time.
Meanwhile, Georgia will be led by Jaba Kankava, who is their most capped player at 93 games. The 35-year-old midfielder currently represents Valenciennes FC in Ligue 2 at France.
Betting Tip
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Sweden vs Georgia | Sweden Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 1.62 |
| March 26, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
The World Cup 2022 odds are clearly batting for the Blagult to win via a considerable margin on Thursday.
Sweden are pegged at 1.27 to win, while Georgia are far off at 11.00 and chances for a draw are at 5.00 in the 1×2 market.
A match against a team like Georgia should give Sweden all the confidence they will need as they go through a fairly strong Group B.
Whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic starts or not in this fixture, Janne Andersson’s side should have enough firepower to see off their visitors from Georgia.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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