Sweden vs England World Cup Picks and Predictions 7/7/2018
World Cup Quarterfinals
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Samara Arena
Sweden will take on England at Samara Arena in a Quarterfinals matchup on Saturday, July 7, 2018. The opening line for this World Cup matchup has Sweden at +387 and England at -130. The total opened at 2.5.
After playing a strong defensive game against Switzerland in the round of 16, Sweden will look to replicate that performance against England in the quarterfinals. Sweden picked up a 1-0 win in that game, while England was able to defeat Columbia on penalties in the final game of the round. England are pretty big favorites going into this match, but Sweden certainly has a chance if they are able to keep their shape defensively throughout the matchup.
Sweden
Something that's turned into a trend for Sweden during the World Cup is that they can lose the possession battle but still get off plenty of shots. Chances are England will be able to hold on to the ball for long periods during this game, so it will be important for Sweden's star midfielders to get the most out of their few opportunities and put some shots on goal. If they play solid defense and come up with at least a few good chances, Sweden can win this game.
Robin Olsen
The FC Copenhagen keeper has been excellent throughout the World Cup so far. He has three shutouts in four games so far and he will know he will need to be on top of his game if he wants to get another one. The speed and size of England's players will cause Olsen some issues, so he will need to keep his defense in a good shape and step up and make stops when he's called upon.
Emil Forsberg
The star midfielder is pretty obviously Sweden's top attacking threat and he proved that again against Switzerland by picking up his team's lone goal. He's a threat whenever the ball is at his feet and you can be sure that he will look to attack every time Sweden is able to gain possession. England will know he's the top man for his side, though, so he will need to be creative to find open spaces between defenders.
England
What could have been yet another shootout disappointment l turned into utter joy for England when they pulled off the nail-biting win over Columbia. They still aren't firing on all cylinders, but they have a lot more talent than Sweden and will hope that will be enough to see them through to the semifinals. They'll certainly get their chances, but the real question is whether they can convert while under this much pressure.
Jordan Pickford
The young Everton keeper is one of the main reasons why England made it to this point after stepping up huge in the shootout versus Colombia. He shouldn't be under too much pressure in this game against Sweden, but it's important that he uses his size on corners and prevents Sweden from scoring from distance.
Raheem Sterling
Sterling has not been an impact player for England so far in this tournament, but this game is a perfect chance to step up. His speed can create a lot of problems for Sweden's defense and could be the way that England sets up shots since he will probably force the defense out of position on more than one occasion.
Key Sweden Injuries
No key injuries to report
Key England Injuries
No key injuries to report
Who will win tonight's Sweden/England World Cup game against the spread?
Guy's Pick: Take England -130
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