Hungary seek end to Sweden success

Having met in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Sweden and Hungary go head-to-head again in their Group E opener, with the visitors on something of a losing streak.

Team news
• Erik Hamrén has kept faith with the squad that defeated Scotland 3-0 a fortnight ago as he prepares to take on Hungary at the Råsunda stadium in his first competitive match as Sweden coach. The Scotland friendly was Zlatan Ibrahimović's first following his ten-month exile from the international scene and he joined up with the squad a day later than his team-mates after undergoing a medical in Milan following his move from FC Barcelona to the Rossoneri.

• After eight years under Lars Lagerbäck, Ibrahimović had this to say of his new coach Hamrén: "He has a lot of energy, he is active and focused. It feels like we are playing a more attacking game than before, and if we lose the ball we have been told to press further up the pitch to win it back."

• Sweden squad
Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven), Johan Wiland (FC København)
Defenders: Andreas Granqvist (FC Groningen), Mikael Lustig (Rosenborg BK), Daniel Majstorovic (Celtic FC), Olof Mellberg (Olympiacos FC), Behrang Safari (FC Basel 1893), Oscar Wendt (FC København)
Midfielders: Emir Bajrami (FC Twente), Kim Källström (Olympique Lyonnais), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City FC), Anders Svensson (IF Elfsborg), Pontus Wernbloom (AZ Alkmaar), Christian Wilhelmsson (Al-Hilal)
Forwards: Marcus Berg (PSV Eindhoven), Johan Elmander (Bolton Wanderers FC), Tobias Hysén (IFK Göteborg), Zlatan Ibrahimović (AC Milan), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven)

• Goalkeeper Ádám Bogdán and right-back Pál Lázár will hope to make their debuts after receiving first call-ups from Sándor Egervári, whose Hungary squad features four players under the age of 21.

• Hungary squad
Goalkeepers: Gábor Király (TSV 1860 München), Márton Fülöp (Ipswich Town FC), Ádám Bogdán (Bolton Wanderers FC)
Defenders: Pál Lázár (Videoton FC), Zoltán Szélési (Olympiakos Volos FC), Zoltán Lipták (Videoton FC), Roland Juhász (RSC Anderlecht), Ádám Komlósi (Debreceni VSC), Zsolt Laczkó (Debreceni VSC), Krisztián Vermes (Újpest FC), Vilmos Vanczák (FC Sion)
Midfielders: Krisztián Vadócz (CA Osasuna), Ákos Elek (Videoton FC), József Varga (Debreceni VSC), Koman Vladimir (UC Sampdoria), Szabolcs Huszti (FC Zenit St. Petersburg), Balázs Dzsudzsák (PSV Eindhoven), Péter Czvitkovics (Debreceni VSC)
Forwards: Zoltán Gera (Fulham FC), Tamás Hajnal (BV Borussia Dortmund), Gergely Rudolf (Genoa CFC), Ádám Szalai (1. FSV Mainz 05), Tamás Priskin (Ipswich Town FC)

Match background
• Sweden's record in 40 matches against Hungary reads W15 D10 L15 (W9 D8 L3 in Sweden).

• Hungary have lost their last five games against Sweden and have not beaten them in six outings since a 1-0 win in EURO' 96 qualifying on 26 April 1995. In addition, they have not tasted victory on their last 11 trips to Sweden since their 7-3 friendly triumph in Stockholm on 11 May 1955.

• Sweden and Hungary met in UEFA European Championship qualifying ahead of EURO '96 and UEFA EURO 2004. In the EURO '96 qualifiers, Sweden won 2-0 at home and lost 1-0 in Budapest; for EURO 2004, the sides drew 1-1 in Solna before Sweden triumphed 1-0 away in the return fixture.

• The two rivals were also drawn together in qualifying for the last two World Cups, with Sweden winning all four fixtures, home and away.

• Their most recent meetings, in 2010 World Cup qualifying, both ended in 2-1 wins for Sweden. Goals from Kim Källström and Samuel Holmén put Lars Lagerbäck's men on the road to success before Gergely Rudolf's late consolation in Solna, while an added-time winner from Zlatan Ibrahimović accounted for Erwin Koeman's charges in the return fixture.

• The sides first met on 20 June 1912 in Gothenburg, where they played out a 2-2 draw.