On 4 June at the Strawberry Arena, World Cup-bound Sweden will host Greece, who failed to qualify for the tournament. The game will start at 18:00 BST.
Graham Potter has one last chance to fine-tune the team's playing connections in a calm but competitive environment.
Graham Potter's appointment saved Sweden from embarrassment after a poor start to qualifying and restored the players' confidence in their own ability. The Englishman quickly stabilised the dressing room and pragmatically led the team to the World Cup through the Nations League play-offs. Now the coach is continuing a careful rebuild, laying the foundations for the final tournament.
For this final warm-up, Potter has selected his strongest possible group, led by his main attacking weapon Viktor Gyokeres, who is in good form after the Champions League final, although because of that match he will only play a few minutes. So it is quite possible that the Englishman will move away from a two-forward system and use only Alexander Isak as the central striker, while Anthony Elanga will patrol the flank and drift inside. Sweden also intend to operate in a flexible formation with an emphasis on intense pressing and quick transitions from defence. For the home team, this is an ideal testing ground to finalise the starting combination before travelling to the tournament.
Greece have little to play for in this match, given the complete absence of targeted preparation for a major tournament and the status of a friendly. The team traditionally favour a defensive approach away from home, trying to slow the game down as much as possible and rely on rare counter-attacks. However, without proper motivation and match sharpness, it will be difficult for them to contain opponents who will be charged up by their fans. Against a well-drilled opponent focused on the result, Greece's defence will not hold out for long.
Home advantage and the difference in condition will bring the hosts a convincing victory, so it makes sense to back Sweden to win outright. The odds look generous, we expected them to be shorter, so it’s worth backing.
Aaron Jones (Wales)
Matches: 3 (friendlies, 2022/23–2025/26)
Yellow cards (incl. second yellows): 5
Average yellow cards per match: 1.7
Red cards: 0
Fouls per match: 28
Penalty awards: 33%
| Bookie | 1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
