Spain v Sweden betting tips: Seville start for Covid-troubled Roja
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Spain are looking to dominate Europe again after winning the tournament in 2008 and 2012.
Luis Enrique’s side have failed to advance past the last-16 stage in their last three major tournaments, but are the fifth favourites to win Euro 2020 at 8/1 despite a Covid outbreak in the camp which resulted in Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente having tested positive.
La Roja took four points off the Scandinavians in qualifying and are 4/11 to open their campaign with a victory, but let’s look at some of the other odds in our Spain v Sweden betting tips.
Match Odds
Spain have entered a new era since winning major tournaments in 2008, 2010 and 2012, with below-par showings at Euro 2016 and the last two World Cups.
Enrique’s outfit are 4/11 favourites to reach the knockout stage as winners of Group E which also includes Poland and Slovakia, but they were recently held by Greece and only just beat Georgia in World Cup qualifying.
However, they have a good record against Sweden on home soil after winning their last three, scoring 10 goals and conceding none.
The last of those matches came in qualifying for the Euros in June 2019, when they condemned Sweden to their only defeat with a 3-0 victory in Madrid before securing a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture with a last-gasp Rodrigo goal.
However, both matches were goalless at the break which can be backed at 31/20 or it’s 23/20 for the opening 45 minutes to be drawn.
Spain have netted and conceded in four of their last five competitive matches, with a repeat in Seville priced at 27/20, while a home win and both teams to score is 14/5.
Spain beat Sweden 2-1 in the group stage of their 2008 European Championship triumph and, with a tight game expected, a draw at half-time and a home win is 5/2.
Talking Tactics
The fixture was set to throw up a huge battle between veterans Sergio Ramos and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But fans have been robbed of the showdown with defender Ramos failing to make a Spain squad lacking Real Madrid players due to a lack of fitness and striker Ibrahimovic missing from the Sweden party because of injury.
Aymeric Laporte seems to have benefited from Ramos’ omission after recently changing his allegiance to Spain from France, while Enrique has plenty of attacking options with the likes of Ferran Torres, Gerard Moremo and Alvaro Morata at his disposal.
Sweden have crashed out of the last three Euros at the first hurdle and have a squad packed with experience, including Marcus Berg, Sebastian Larsson and Emil Forsberg.
Goalscorer Odds
Spain shared the goals around during qualifying with Morata, Ramos and Rodrigo all netting four each.
But with Ramos and Rodrigo absent, Juventus striker Morata and Villarreal forward Moreno are joint favourites at 16/5 to break the deadlock and 6/4 to score any time.
Torres ended the season in form at Manchester City, scoring five in his last six Premier League games and two in his previous two for Spain, and he is 4/1 and 21/20 in both markets.
Robin Quaison netted five times for Sweden during qualifying and currently averages one goal every three games for his country, yet he is available at 11/2 to get on the scoresheet.
Match Info
Where: Estadio La Cartuja, Seville
When: 20:00, Monday 14th June
How to watch: BBC 1
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
