Russia v Sweden background
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Article summary
Russia's chances of making it to UEFA EURO 2016 by the direct route are starting to look slim as they take on second-ranked Sweden, with Group G leaders Austria watching with interest.
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Russia are in danger of losing touch with the top two in Group G as Sweden come to Moscow knowing a win would be a major step toward UEFA EURO 2016.
Previous meetings
• With Zlatan Ibrahimović out injured, Sweden went behind to a tenth-minute Aleksandr Kokorin goal in their first Group G meeting with Russia, but rallied; Sebastian Larsson had a penalty saved before Ola Toivonen made it 1-1 in the second half.
• Russia have now met Sweden five times since the demise of the Soviet Union, with the record W1 D2 L2 (W0 D1 L0 in Russia).
• Two of those encounters came at final tournaments, firstly at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where Tommy Svensson's Sweden beat Pavel Sadyrin's Russia 3-1.
• The teams in Detroit on 24 June 1994 were:
Sweden: Ravelli, R Nilsson, P Andersson, Björklund (Erlingmark 89), Ljung, Brolin, Thern, Schwarz, Ingesson, Dahlin, K Andersson (H Larsson 84).
Russia: Kharin, Gorlukovich, Popov (Karpin 40), Onopko, Khlestov, Nikoforov, Mostovoi, Kuznetsov, Salenko, Borodyuk (Galyamin 51), Radchenko.
• Guus Hiddink's Russia won 2-0 when the sides met at UEFA EURO 2008. The teams in Innsbruck on 18 June 2008 were:
Russia: Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Kolodin, Arshavin, Semak, Bilyaletdinov (Saenko 66), Zyryanov, Zhirkov, Pavlyuchenko (Bystrov 90), Semshov, Anyukov.
Sweden: Isaksson, M Nilsson (Allbäck 79), Mellberg, Hansson, Stoor, Svensson, Ljungberg, Ibrahimović, Elmander, H Larsson, D Andersson (Källström 56).
• Sweden encountered the Soviet Union seven times with the record W3 D2 L2 (W1 D2 L1 at home – W2 D0 L1 away). Those games included a 2-0 Sweden win at the 1958 World Cup, in Stockholm, and a 1964 UEFA European Championship quarter-final.
• Before the formation of the Soviet Union, Russia beat Sweden 4-1 in Moscow on 4 May 1913, but drew 2-2 in Stockholm on 5 July 1914.
Disciplinary
• Russia midfielder Denis Glushakov is a yellow card away from a suspension.
• Kim Källström is absent through suspension. Sweden duo Albin Ekdal and Ibrahimović are both a booking away from a one-game ban.
Form guide
• Russia's 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in their Group G opener remains their only win over 90 minutes in the section – they were awarded a default win after crowd problems halted their game in Montenegro.
• Russia failed to win their last two Group G home games (D1 L1) – they had won their previous seven home qualifiers on the trot, a run stretching back to 2011.
• Sweden remain unbeaten in six Group G games; they have not conceded more than once in any single game in the section to date.
• Sweden are unbeaten in nine UEFA European Championship qualifiers (W6 D3) since a 2-1 loss in Hungary in September 2011.
Trivia and links
• Leonid Slutski was appointed Russia coach on 7 August, and will combine the position with his role at PFC CSKA Moskva. Fabio Capello left the job in July.
• CSKA defender Nikita Chernov made his second international appearance in the defeat against Austria in June – extraordinary, since he is yet to make his competitive debut for his club.
• Sweden midfielder Pontus Wernbloom plays his club football in Russia with CSKA.
• Sweden and Russia have met in five UEFA age-group competitions with the Swedes' record W1 D1 L3. Most recently the sides drew in the semi-finals of the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Slovakia, Russia eventually winning 10-9 on penalties en route to winning the competition.
• The nations' clubs have met in 16 UEFA competition games, with the Swedish sides' record in those games reading W4 D3 L9.