Gustav Svensson and Sweden will look to move one step closer to advancing to the Knockout Round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup when they take on defending World Cup champion Germany on Matchday 2 of Group F on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT at Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia.
The Swedes took down South Korea 1-0 on Matchday 1 on captain Andreas Granqvist’s penalty kick in the 65th minute. Svensson came off the bench in the 81st minute to earn his 14th cap and help seal the victory.
The task facing Sweden doesn’t get any easier against a now-desperate German side seeking to avoid an embarrassing early exit after their 1-0 loss to Mexico in their opener. Billed as one of the favorites entering the tournament, Germany is loaded on talent: Mesut Ōzil, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, Timo Werner, Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, Marco Reus, Julian Draxler. The list goes on.
Sweden are not strangers to facing world powers. The Blågult finished ahead of the Netherlands in UEFA World Cup Qualifying and improbably knocked off Italy in a two-leg playoff to make it to Russia. They’re incredibly well-organized and defensively sound and will need to be on top of their game if they plan on shutting down Die Mannschaft.
