The Republic of Ireland and Sweden go head-to-head as they open their respective Euro 2016 campaigns in Group E. Getting the full three points is valuable, considering these two teams play in a tough group with the likes of Belgium and Italy. Read on as we take a look at this group stage fixture.
The Republic of Ireland aren’t all too talented, but they have that dirty, gritty style that could cause some upsets. Midfielders James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan provide solid defense with their speed and endurance. They also have some firepower with Shane Long lending his boot from midfield, while Robbie Keane could be a valuable commodity off the bench.
Keane has been dealing with a back injury leading up to Euro 2016, but could make an appearance off the bench. With 67 goals in 143 international caps, the 34-year-old striker should have what it takes to threaten with his scoring late into games when the opposition is already tiring. He has scored two goals in three career starts against Sweden.
While the Irish have a solid attack based on their midfield, they may not have a very good defense. 35-year-old captain John O’Shea is the anchor of the defense, and could be a liability due to his lack of speed. It’s going to be interesting to see how he matches up against Sweden’s talented scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who figures to power a dangerous Sweden group.
Ireland have not won any of their last three matches heading into Euro 2016 with one loss and two draws in international friendlies.
Sweden’s attack will be powered by one man—Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The 34-year-old striker scored 11 of Sweden’s 19 goals during qualifying. He also touted his goal-scoring ways for PSG with 53 goals in 50 appearances in club competition. Ibra should get plenty of chances to show off his blistering boot, considering he gets past Ireland’s tricky midfield. He could exploit a vulnerable Irish backline led by the aging John O’Shea.
Yes, Ibrahimovic does most of the scoring for Sweden. However, a couple of other players could score some goals when the opposition is focused entirely on the star striker. Marcus Berg has scored 10 goals on just 37 career caps for Sweden, while Kim Kallstrom (16 goals and 127 caps) could have his moments.
Berg and Kallstrom will surely need to step up since Ibrahimovic has never scored in three games played against the Republic of Ireland. Sweden still have the advantage in head-to-head competition, going 5-3-2 in 10 matches against the Republic of Ireland.
