Belgium vs Sweden
By going undefeated so far in the qualifiers, Belgium are in a strong position to clinch their Euro 2024 berth, while the same can’t be said for Sweden, whom they’ll meet on Monday night in Brussels.
Belgium are cruising in Group F with positive Euro 2024 results (W5, D1) for 16 points. Right behind them are Austria, who have 13 points, while Sweden, Azerbaijan, and Estonia round out the group with six, four, and one point, respectively.
While Sweden’s chances to directly qualify for Germany next year are dwindling, there’s still a sliver of hope for them because they have a game in hand.
However, with the Euro 2024 odds stacked against them, Sweden must start a winning streak fast, and Belgium and Austria have to drop points in the process.
Check out our latest match preview, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Lukaku has his mojo back, while Vertonghen reaches milestone
After a turbulent summer transfer window, Romelu Lukaku is off to a blistering start this season, both for his club and country.
At AS Roma, he has now scored seven goals in his first eight matches because he has fit in seamlessly in their 3-5-2 system, repaying the trust Jose Mourinho has given him.
In Belgium, Lukaku is the frontrunner of the Golden Boot race because he now has nine goals to lead all scorers in the ongoing Euro 2024 qualifiers. The Red Devils have a superb goal difference of +13, which ranks second in the whole competition thus far.
By the way, Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer, with 77 goals and counting.
Now as one of the Red Devils’ elder statesmen, especially with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard not playing as of the moment, Lukaku will be the focal point of their offence, who also has young weapons in the form of Jeremy Doku and Dodi Lukebakio.
Speaking of the veterans, Jan Vertonghen just became the first player in Belgium national football team history to reach 150 caps, which he achieved in their 3-2 victory against Austria yesterday.
The Anderlecht centre-back has been a steadying force in the backline for Belgium for so long, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down even at 36 years of age.
Sweden to move forward with their youngsters
Janne Andersson will be disappointed that Sweden are unlikely to make it through next year’s European championship. However, this is part of their rebuilding process, and they have good pieces to work with moving forward.
The Blue and Yellow have a frontline that’s peppered with high upside because their best attackers are 25 years old or younger.
Alexander Isak, 24, currently has 10 goals in 42 caps for Sweden. The Solna native is also Newcastle United’s leading goal scorer so far this season, with seven goals in 10 appearances. However, he’s not available on Monday because he injured his groin.
With Isak sidelined, Viktor Gyokeres, 25, will likely take the starting No. 9 spot. The Sporting CP stalwart currently leads his mother club in scoring with six goals in seven league matches.
Another youngster that we should look out for is Dejan Kulusevski, who is a key cog in Tottenham’s resurgence this term. The 23-year-old winger already has two goals for the Spurs this year.
History
Belgium’s 3-0 March victory over Sweden in the first matchday has essentially set the tone for the Red Devils’ Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
The match marked Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s much-anticipated return to international football and Domenico Tedesco’s first game in charge as Belgium boss, but those were overshadowed by Romelu Lukaku’s hat-trick.
Belgium and Sweden aren’t far off from each other, at least when you look at the world map, but matches between these two nations have come few and far between.
In the 21st century, Belgium and Sweden have met four times, with the former winning all of them via an impressive aggregate tally of 8-1.
These two teams qualified and competed in Euro 2020, where Belgium reached the quarter-finals and Sweden made it to the Round of 16 after topping their respective groups.
Sweden were dispatched by Ukraine, and Ukraine were defeated by England. On the other hand, Belgium were eliminated by Italy, who went on to win the tournament after beating England in the final.
Belgium qualified for the 2022 World Cup, while Sweden did not. Under the tutelage of Roberto Martinez, the Red Devils did not make it to the Round of 16 because they fell short behind Morocco and Croatia in Group F.
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