Sweden must end the Netherlands’ winning streak to qualify automatically for the 2012 European Championship, and will have to do it without suspended star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Dutch have already won Group E and the Swedes are assured of a playoff spot regardless of Tuesday’s result. But if Sweden wins at Rasunda stadium it will take the last automatic spot given to the best runner-up in the nine groups.
Sweden coach Erik Hamren says beating the Dutch—is “a tough task, but not impossible.”
Ibrahimovic will probably be replaced by Johan Elmander or Tobias Hysen.
While Sweden is largely injury-free, the Netherlands is missing several key players due to injury, including playmaker Wesley Sneijder, goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, winger Arjen Robben and defender John Heitinga.
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Rank | Team | W/D/L | Pts |
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Cities & Stadiums
The Top 3 Teams of Previous Tournaments
Year | Winners | Runner-up | Third place |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Spain | Germany | Russia / Turkey |
2004 | Greece | Portugal | Netherlands / Czech Republic |
2000 | France | Italy | Netherlands / Portugal |
1996 | Germany | Czech Republic | France / England |
1992 | Denmark | Germany | Netherlands / Sweden |
1988 | Netherlands | Soviet Union | Italy / West Germany |
1984 | France | Spain | Denmark / Portugal |
1980 | West Germany | Belgium | Czechoslovakia |
1976 | Czechoslovakia | West Germany | Netherlands |
1972 | West Germany | Soviet Union | Belgium |
1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia | England |
1964 | Spain | Soviet Union | Hungary |
1960 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Czechoslovakia |