Kosovo Vs Sweden
Kosovo Vs Sweden Sunday, 28th March 2021 – 19:45
World Cup Qualifier
Pick: Sweden Win & Both Teams to Score
Odds: 3/1
Bookmaker: Boylesports
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 26th March 2021)
Preview: In Pristina on Sunday, Kosovo belatedly get their World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign in Group B up and running when they take on Sweden for only a second time, fourteen months on from the former’s 1-0 victory in a Doha friendly.
World Cup Qualifying Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Kosovo – Extending winning form looks a tall order?
Preparations for their second ever World Cup qualifying campaign got off the a flyer on Wednesday. Unfortunately the 4-0 thrashing of Lithuania, at this same venue, counted for very little with it being only a friendly, but the confidence garnered can only serve them well ahead of the real deal on Sunday. Meanwhile, it shouldn’t be too taxing surpassing their rather modest achievements from last time.
Kosovo registered a solitary point during the 2018 qualifying phase, losing nine of ten fixtures in an admittedly competitive group containing Sweden’s Scandinavian neighbours Finland and Iceland. They would earn a maiden point in a 1-1 draw at home to the former, before faring a lot better when taking 11 points from 8 games to finish third behind England and the Czech Republic in Euro 2020 qualifying.
Form wise, however, coach Bernard Challandes has a team that looks exposed. They’ve recently managed back-to-back wins, against Lithuania and before that Moldova, but previously endured a ten-game winless run, losing eight. It also seems a long time ago that they picked up useful results at home to all of Bulgaria (1-1), Czech Republic (2-1) and Montenegro in that aforementioned Euro 2020 campaign.
Sweden – Can they bring losing away run to an end?
There was no shortage of fanfare as Sweden begun World Cup qualifying in Solna on Thursday, in which they managed to get up and running in Group B with a far from convincing 1-0 victory over Georgia. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as he often does, justified the pre-match hype though when laying on the assist for Victor Claesson with some trademark powerful hold-up play that helped prise open some stubborn visitors.
That performance will have given coach Janne Andersson much to ponder though, because it wasn’t up to the standards he expects. Particularly with this summer’s opening match at the European Championships against Spain on the horizon. Perhaps a slow start was always on the cards. After all, the team’s self-belief would have taken a hit following last season’s disappointing display in the Nations League.
Sweden lost five of six fixtures in that tournament. They were up against high-quality opposition, though, which featured both of the finalists from the previous World Cup but also reigning European champions Portugal. However, the bare facts show four defeats in their last four away matches, conceding two or more in each. Sunday sees them trying to arrest that away slump.
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Kosovo Vs Sweden Betting Advice
Both teams picked up morale boosting wins during the week and while Sweden’s 1-0 win at home to Georgia counted for a lot more than Kosovo’s 4-0 rout of Lithuania in a friendly, the confidence garnered should do both sets of players the world of good. That being said, Sweden’s performance on Thursday left plenty of room for improvement, and they appear a touch vulnerable as a short price favourite.
Kosovo Vs Sweden – Key Facts:
- Sunday marks the second ever meeting between these nations. Sweden prevailed first time around though when edging a friendly in Doha 1-0 in January 2020.
- Kosovo have won their last two fixtures, beating Moldova and Lithuania here in Pristina, but endured eight losses and no wins across their previous ten matches.
- Sweden won their second game in three on Thursday, a 1-0 win at home to Georgia, but are looking to avoid a fifth consecutive away defeat on Sunday.
It is too early to assume Kosovo are over their slump from last year, when losing six of eight games (W1 D1), but they do tend to offer a significant goal threat. They’ve now scored in eight of their last nine matches, while only England kept them at bay here in Pristina during Euro 2020 qualifying. The Swedes are also without an away clean sheet since November 2019 (five games) and may have to win this the hard way.
Best Betting Odds – Kosovo Vs Sweden
Kosovo – 5/1 (Bet365)
Draw – 14/5 (BetVictor)
Sweden – 8/13 (Betway)
