Mexico vs Sweden Group F World Cup Picks & Predictions 6/27/2018
World Cup Group F
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Ekaterinburg Arena
Mexico will play at Ekaterinburg Arena when they take on Sweden on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 in a Group F matchup. The opening line for this game has Mexico at +118 and Sweden at +240. The total has been set at 2.25.
Neither team has a particularly strong midfield, so both teams should get plenty of counter attacking chances and fans can expect an open game of football. Mexico has slightly better odds to win the game, but the reality is that this is one of the toughest games to predict.
Mexico
Mexico will stick to the strategy it used in its shock win over Germany: sit back, absorb pressure, and jet forward on the counter attack when you do get the ball. They have a wealth of talent up front in the attack, so they will definitely get their chances in this game. The question is whether their defense can deal with Sweden's size when they cross the ball into the box.
Giovani Dos Santos
Mexico needs to use its speed and creativity to get a good result against Sweden, and can bring both of those things from the midfield. He's not afraid to run right at defenders and he'd love to add to his 19 goals for his country. The 29-year-old will also play a key role in the middle of the field when his team is on the back foot against the Swedes.
Carlos Vela
Mexico will once again be counting on Carlos Vela to be lethal in front of goal. Sweden will probably sit back and defend for most of this game, so it will be up to Mexico's forward to find openings between defenders and make the most of his chances. Vela is coming off of a great season for Los Angeles FC and he will be looking to add on to his 18 goals for his country.
Sweden
Against Mexico, Sweden will be looking to slow play down as much as they can to prevent Mexico from using its speed. They might even allow the Mexicans to control possession for large chunks of the game just so they don't leave holes behind their defense. The Swedes don't have a lot of pace in their side, but we might see them try a bit of counter attacking football themselves to put Mexico's defense under a bit more pressure.
Marcus Berg
Fans worry that Sweden will have some problems scoring now that the Zlatan Ibrahimovic era is over, but Marcus Berg showed in qualifiers that he can step up by scoring eight goals. Expect Sweden's midfield to put a lot of crosses in the box to the 31-year-old in hopes that he can use his elite heading ability to beat Mexico's defense.
Albin Ekdal
Ekdal has been an auto-include in Sweden's lineup for a while now because he can do a great job of shutting down counter attacks and maintaining possession. You're not going to see him on the scoresheet very often, but you can be sure that he plays a big part in these types of games for Sweden when they are playing good offensive teams.
Key Mexico Injuries
No key injuries to report
Key Sweden Injuries
No key injuries to report
Who will win tonight's Mexico/Sweden World Cup game against the spread?
Guy's Pick: Take Mexico +118
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