Sweden vs. England: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info for World Cup 2018
England's bid to reach the last four of a FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1990 rests on beating Sweden in the quarter-final of the 2018 tournament in Russia on Saturday.
The Three Lions made it to the last eight by overcoming Colombia in a dramatic and lengthy match on Tuesday. England won a penalty shootout to help exorcise some demons from international tournaments past, since the nation had lost on penalties in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2006.
Overcoming a significant psychological hurdle will buoy manager Gareth Southgate's players, but Sweden cannot be overlooked.
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Head coach Janne Andersson's side won Group F ahead of Mexico and holders Germany, before beating Switzerland in the first knockout phase.
Date: Saturday, July 7
Time: 6 p.m. local time (3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET)
TV Info: BBC One/Fox
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, Fox Soccer MatchPass, fuboTV
It's fair to say there's been a little needle in the buildup to the match. Specifically, the Swedish press have cited possible overconfidence in the England camp.
Writing for Expressen, Daniel Kristofferson (h/t the Guardian's Marcus Christenson) described the Three Lions in this way: "Sweden have reached a sensational quarter-final after an enormous feat. Now England, who have their usual hubris, awaits."
Christenson also noted how TV4's Olof Lundh wrote on his Fobollskanalen blog he "could not understand the English arrogance before the game. Why? Can we start to dream about a medal? Yes, a little but don't say anything to Andersson because he doesn't dream, he works. And that has worked well so far."
The contrast between England's supposed feeling of superiority and Sweden's well-documented hard work is being clearly drawn. Yet the true battle set to decide this game will involve the Three Lions' forward line against a resolute defence.
A lot will hinge on the fitness of star striker Harry Kane. He struck from the penalty spot against Colombia for his tournament-leading sixth goal, but there are some doubts after the Tottenham Hotspur man appeared to have a back problem in the latter stages of the match, per Sky Sports News.
Kane "has since declared himself fit," according to Dominic Fifield of the Guardian. However, the report also noted there are still doubts about forward Jamie Vardy, who has a groin problem.
England will need pace and power up top to stretch a Sweden defence that has been compact, tough and disciplined through four matches. The back line may not be as strong as usual, though, since Celtic's Mikael Lustig is out through suspension.
While they can still count on being strong defensively, Sweden could struggle for goals. Although Andersson's team counters effectively, the lack of a standout finisher through the middle has let them down:
If Sweden can't find a cutting edge, England can get the goal they need to win another close game.
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