The Sweden vs Portugal second leg UEFA World Cup qualifying match will take place this Tuesday, November 19, 2013 (12:00 PM Pacific) at the Friends Arena. Portugal has one step inside Brazil 2014, as they won in the first leg 1-0 against a Swedish side which defended well, but who was absent on offense. Meanwhile, Sweden will attempt to win without receiving a goal in front of their fans, and with the pressure of World Cup elimination.
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Related: Sweden vs Portugal 2-3 Video Highlights
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In the first leg, Sweden styled a defensive tactic based on the counter attack. This allowed them to be efficient for most of the match, as Cristiano Ronaldo and company attacked, but were inefficient in front of the goal. While by the end of the match Ronaldo was able to break the score sheet, Sweden seemed confident and intelligent while on defense. Unfortunately, that did not translate into the attack as Zlatan Ibrahimovic was unfound throughout the match.
In order for Sweden to have a chance at winning Tuesday’s match, they will need to play more aggressively, as the counter-attack was clearly ineffective in the first leg. The Portuguese defensive wingers are very quick, meaning Sweden must focus on possession of the ball, while also taking good opportunities of their set pieces.
Portugal won a dramatic game, in good fashion last Friday at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. They attacked throughout the 90 minutes, dominating the ball, and hitting a couple of bars in the process. While the 1-0 score has not given them the ticket into next year’s World Cup, it has allowed the to gain breathing room entering the difficult Friends Arena.
Sweden vs Portugal Prediction
The Sweden vs Portugal playoff match will be intense, dramatic, heated, and exciting to watch. Both teams will give it their all to earn that ticket into the World Cup, but at the end, the team who is able to play intelligently, will win. Both teams are talented, and both sides are capable of performing well in Brazil, but sadly, only one will achieve qualification. Therefore, this game will not be one of talent, but rather one of nerves. The squad who is able to concentrate and play their system throughout the 90 minutes will be the team that wins the series. The Sweden vs Portugal second leg match will end in a 1-1 tie; 2-1 win for Portugal in the aggregate score.
Sweden vs Portugal TV Schedule
The Sweden vs Portugal match will be televised this Tuesday, November 19, 2013 on ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes at 12:00 PM Pacific.
