Life without Zlatan Ibrahimovic begins now for Sweden. Ibra was the most talented player ever to suit up for Sweden, but he was not recalled after the Swedes surprisingly qualified for the World Cup. Now, this team is going to rely on some of its younger talent at an international competition for the first time in quite some time.
Sweden’s first test at the World Cup will come when they take on the Republic of Korea. South Korea has made it to nine straight World Cups, more than any other team in Asia, but they have only gotten out of the Group Stage twice. They are the longshot in Group F, but they are looking to prove they can compete with the group’s heavyweights.
The most anticipated sporting event in the world comes around once every four years, so don’t miss any of the 2018 World Cup. This match will take place at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod at 8 a.m. ET on Monday, June 18, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FS1.
World Cup Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Republic of Korea +310
Sweden +105
Draw +224
Over/Under 2
Recent Form
South Korea is lightly regarded ahead of the World Cup. They were relatively unimpressive despite qualifying for the tournament, and their play in recent friendlies has not been particularly good.
The country has yet to defeat a team that will be taking part in the World Cup, and they have put up middling performances against teams that missed out. In 2018, South Korea has been able to beat Moldova, Latvia, and Honduras. However, they were only able to get draws against Jamaica and Bolivia, and they lost to Northern Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Senegal. Those nine matches have given this team experience at least.
Sweden rode its defense to qualifying for the World Cup. They were able to surprisingly finish ahead of Netherlands in the group thanks to the defense, and they held Italy in goalless in both legs of their playoff match to qualify for Russia instead of the Italians.
They have taken part in four friendlies this year. In March, they suffered defeat at the hands of Chile and Romania, while they drew to nil against Denmark and Peru in June. The defense has continues to play well, but Sweden has scored just one goal in those four matches.
Player to Watch
Son Heung-Min is the best offensive option for South Korea. The youngster is coming off of his best season yet for Tottenham, and now he is looking to lead his country to international success.
When Harry Kane went down with an injury, Tottenham turned to Son to create offense. He was able to flourish in the role, and that helped him grow as a player. Son is able to use both feet effectively and he is relatively elusive away from the ball. He can be hard to mark, and he uses that to great effectiveness. He has tallied 21 goals for South Korea, and he will be looking to add to that total.
Matchup to Watch
Manager Janne Andersson has built a very impressive back line. The Swedes don’t have a lot of stars in the back, but they play well together and that’s important. Captain Andreas Granqvist will be a crowd favorite. He is the leader in the back and plays for Russian side Krasnodar. Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof is a young, talented defender and will look to impress too.
Defense has been an issue for South Korea. While this country has had midfielders and forwards get snapped up by European clubs, everyone in their back line plays in one of the three big Asian leagues. They don’t have experience against top attackers, and that will hurt their chances.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This is likely to be a low scoring game. Sweden should be able to snuff out Korea’s attack, and this is not a team that will score a ton. The under is the best bet, but backing Sweden is not a bad idea either.
World Cup Group Stage Odds: Sweden 1, Republic of Korea 0
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
