Sweden-Serbia prediction, odds and choice
Sweden will host Serbia on the third matchday in UEFA Nations League B, where both teams are looking for their second victory in this competition. With that said, it’s a great opportunity to check out our Nations League odds series, which includes our Sweden-Serbia prediction and selection that we have posted below.
Sweden and Serbia both felt Erling Haaland’s anger in the UEFA Nations League this week. He did one to win against Serbia and then two to secure Norway a win over Sweden. Now the two nations Sweden and Serbia meet in a game that can give us the main challenger for first place in this group. Sweden is probably still disappointed to have missed the 2022 World Cup, while Serbia can use their direct qualification and the recent sling of Slovenia as motivation to continue with positive results. With a live match for first in the group still left, both teams will definitely look to win this match.
With permission from FanDuelhere are the odds for the Sweden-Serbia Nations League:
Nations League Odds: Sweden-Serbia Odds
Sweden: (+170)
Serbia: (+165)
Draw: (+195)
Over: 2.5 (+120)
Below: 2.5 (-166)
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Why Sweden Could win this game
As briefly mentioned above, Sweden could not secure the qualification for the World Cup 2022. As second place in their group, the Swedes went through the Czech Republic but were stopped by Poland in the final of the second round of the UEFA qualifiers. With that disappointment behind them, they have to fight for a better place in this competition and nothing would signal a strong desire for first place like beating Serbia here.
To be completely honest, the best thing Sweden has to win this game is that their fans have to expect more. There is no Zlatan Ibrahimović in the Swedish team anymore, but the expectations are higher than this type of result. A big motivation is also that they were beaten by a Scandinavian rival in Norway, so they must be able to take revenge. If they were to lose here, all their hopes of challenging for first place in the group would be gone.
One of the most important reasons is also their individual talent. Even though it is not as talented as some other nations, Sweden still has guys like Anthony Elanga, Alexander Isak and Emil Forsberg, among others. They also have a compact team that can hold on to anyone in their day and they should have a chance against this Serbian team, especially if the Serbian team is not in perfect shape.
Why Serbia could win this game
When it comes to surprises, Serbia’s 2-1 comeback win against Portugal in November last year to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They even lost that match but turned it around when Aleksandar Mitrovic made a winner in the 90th minute to win the match for the Serbs and send them to the World Cup. Since then, they have played very well and despite the loss against Norway and a loss of friendship against Denmark, it should be a Serbian squad with lots of confidence that goes into this match.
Their best bet to win this game is the strength of their playlist. Coach Dragan Stojković has an impressive squad headed by Luka Jovic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Tadic, Filip Kostic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, just to name a few. Even beyond these guys, the Serbian list is full of players who play for some of the best teams in football and even if it does not guarantee success in itself, it is a good condition for a fantastic national team.
Last but certainly not least, Serbia can win this match because it makes it more serious. Given that they are going to the World Cup, Serbia has limited time to prepare its squad for the competition. With not too many dates left for friendly matches and other matches, Serbia should treat each match as a serious preparation for the World Cup, therefore they will approach this match better than the Swedes who effectively play and prepare for nothing.
Final Sweden-Serbia Prediction & Pick
It’s hard to say, because both teams have merits. Sweden plays at home and has lots of fantastic players, but Serbia undoubtedly has better players and also has a lot of confidence from beating some strong teams. At the end of the day, it is likely that talent will be the deciding factor. Because of this, our last prediction Sweden-Serbia is a Serbia win at Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden.
Final selection Sweden-Serbia: Serbia (+165)