Sweden v Denmark background
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Article summary
Sweden will seek a first competitive home success against their neighbours as Denmark bid to prolong Morten Olsen's tenure in the UEFA EURO 2016 play-offs.
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An all-Nordic tie may be the pick of the games in the UEFA EURO 2016 play-offs, with a Swedish success likely to bring the curtain down on Morten Olsen's long career as Denmark coach.
Previous meetings
• The neighbours have met 104 times, Sweden winning 46 matches and Denmark 40. Sweden were the only side to beat Denmark during the Danes' glorious EURO '92 finals campaign. The pair also faced off at the finals of UEFA EURO 2004, drawing 2-2 in Porto.
• Denmark overcame Sweden 1-0 in Copenhagen in October 2009 to pip their local rivals to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That ended Sweden's record run of five straight qualifications for major final tournaments.
• The teams last met in a Copenhagen friendly in May 2014, Daniel Agger scoring in a 1-0 Denmark success.
• Sweden have never won – or scored – in a home qualifying game against Denmark (D1 L1).
Form guide
• Sweden come into the play-offs on the back of two 2-0 victories in their closing qualifying fixtures.
• Sweden lost just once in their five home qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016 (W3 D1 L1); Denmark won only once away from home in their qualification attempt (W1 D2 L1) and failed to score in the last two of those matches.
• Sweden are featuring in the UEFA European Championship play-offs for the first time. They fell to Portugal in a play-off for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
• Denmark have not scored in their last three competitive games (D2 L1).
• Denmark won their sole previous EURO play-off, brushing aside Israel 8-0 on aggregate to reach UEFA EURO 2000.
• Coach Olsen said: "It's pleasing that we get the opportunity to decide the tie at home. During my time as national coach, we have clinched qualification three times at home – one of these against Sweden [for the 2010 World Cup]. Deciding it all in front of your own crowd is always special."
Disciplinary
• Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimović, Kim Källström and Pontus Wernbloom will incur a ban with their next bookings.
• Denmark quartet Pierre Emile Højbjerg, Lars Jacobsen, Simon Kjær and William Kvist are also a booking away from a ban.
Trivia and links
• Sweden finished third in Group G behind Austria and Russia; Denmark were third in Group I behind Portugal and Albania.
• Semi-finalists in 1992, Sweden are seeking to make it to their sixth UEFA European Championship finals. Denmark have appeared in eight EUROs, memorably lifting the trophy on Swedish soil in '92 having been reinstated at the last minute.
• The 1992 European champions, Denmark are the only former winners in the play-offs.
• Olsen will step down at the end of Denmark's UEFA EURO 2016 campaign, having been in charge of the national side since 2000.
• Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimović was the joint third highest scorer in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying with eight goals.
• Sweden boss Erik Hamrén won the Danish Super League in his last season at the Aalborg helm (2003–08). His assistant Marcus Allbäck scored 34 goals in 85 league games for FC København from 2005–08.
• Sweden defender Mikael Antonsson plays in Denmark with København, where his team-mates include Denmark's Stephan Andersen, Thomas Delaney and Nicolai Jørgensen.
• Sweden's Pierre Bengtsson represented København from 2010–14.
• Denmark defender Daniel Wass and Sweden striker John Guidetti are club-mates at Celta Vigo in Spain.
• Sweden's Emil Forsberg and Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen play together for Leipzig.
• Sweden reserve goalkeeper Robin Olsen has Danish and Swedish citizenship; he was born in Sweden to Danish parents.