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In their first game since the World Cup, Sweden will kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign against Romania in Stockholm on Friday.
Both nations earned promotion in the 2024-25 Nations League by winning their League C groups and each face four fixtures in the September and October international break.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Sweden vs. Romania key stats
- Sweden have won just one of their last six matches.
- Sweden won the last two H2Hs in qualifying for Euro 2020.
- Romania are winless in their last six away matches.
- Romania finished the 2024-25 Nations League campaign with a perfect record.
Sweden vs. Romania preview: Sweden to bounce back from World Cup with Nations League win
Sweden vs Romania — Tale of the Tape
| Sweden | vs | Romania |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Position | 3rd |
| 0 | Points | 0 |
| 0 | Goals For | 0 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 1st (H) | Home / Away Rank | 3rd (A) |
Sweden return to action for the September and October international break for four Nations League matches having last turned out in the World Cup over the summer.
They earned promotion from League C in the 2024-25 Nations League campaign, topping their group with five wins and a draw in six matches, scoring 19 goals – the most across any leagues – while only conceding four.
Then after qualifying for the World Cup without winning a group game, beating Poland in a two-legged playoff, the Blagult progressed as one of the best third-placed teams, having beaten Tunisia, drawn against Japan and lost 5-1 to Netherlands, before falling out in the round of 32 in a 3-0 defeat to France.
In their bid to bounce back and achieve back-to-back Nations League promotions, Graham Potter has called up a strong squad, led by Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres and Liverpool's Alexander Isak, although they are without several injured players including Anthony Elanga, who scored twice at the World Cup, defender Isak Hien and goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
Now aiming for a fresh start and to build on their promotion, Sweden will look to get up and running with three points on home soil to kick off their international break.
Their visitors will also aim to build on a positive 2024-25 Nations League bid, in which they earned their own promotion to League B in style.
Romania finished the 2024-25 campaign as the only nation with 18 points on the board from their six matches, beating Lithuania and Cyprus twice and Kosovo once before their second meeting was abandoned and a 3-0 victory awarded to the Tricolorii.
Unlike the hosts, they failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup, losing to Turkey in a playoff in March, meaning their last action came in a pair of friendlies in June, drawing with Georgia and beating Wales 2-1 with Florinel Coman and Adrian Rus scoring.
Rus and Coman are notable absentees from this squad through injury alongside forward Denis Dragus, putting more attacking responsibility on the likes of Ianis Hagi and Dennis Man at the top end of the pitch, while Nicolae Stanciu will continue to lead his nation out with 87 caps and 15 international goals to his name.
They now head to Sweden as underdogs aiming to carry momentum from 2024-25 and start with a surprise win in group B4.
Sweden vs. Romania form guide & betting tips
| Sweden | vs | Romania |
|---|---|---|
DWLDL |
Form | WLLDW |
| 9 | Goals For | 10 |
| 12 | Goals Against | 6 |
| Nations League |
Whispers predicts: Sweden 2-0 Romania
Sweden certainly boast the stronger quality throughout their ranks, particularly going forward, but the visitors are no pushovers, having only conceded more than one goal in two of their last eight matches. Under 2.5 goals is priced at 5/4 (2.25).
Potter's men will be keen to put a tough World Cup behind them and establish their dominance in the Nations League, though, and should have too much quality in Stockholm. We fancy Sweden to win at 12/25 (1.48).
Understandably, Isak and Gyokeres take up much of the attention around a Sweden game, and both will fancy themselves to get on the scoresheet on Friday. Gyokeres is the slightly better price and boasts the better scoring record for his country with 21 goals in 37 caps and we back him as a longshot to be first goalscorer at 15/4 (4.75).
> Under 2.5 goals at 5/4 (2.25) | Likelihood: Possible
> Sweden to win at 12/25 (1.48) | Likelihood: Likely
> Viktor Gyokeres first goalscorer at 15/4 (4.75) | Likelihood: Possible