Play-off analysis: Sweden v Denmark
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Article summary
Sweden were the only side to beat their local rivals at the 1992 UEFA European Championship, and will look to get the better of their neighbours in the play-offs.
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Article body
An all-Nordic tie may be the pick of the games in the UEFA EURO 2016 play-offs, with a Swedish success likely to bring the curtain down on Morten Olsen's long career as Denmark coach.
Dates
• Sweden v Denmark, 20.45CET, Saturday 14 November
• Denmark v Sweden, 20.45CET, Tuesday 17 November
Previous meetings
• The neighbours have met 104 times, Sweden winning 45 matches and Denmark 40. Sweden were the only side to beat Denmark in their glorious EURO '92 finals campaign.
• Denmark beat Sweden 1-0 in October 2009 to pip their neighbours to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That ended Sweden's record run of five straight qualifications for major final tournaments.
Form guide
• Sweden come into the play-offs on the back of two 2-0 wins in their final qualifying fixtures.
• Sweden are featuring in the UEFA European Championship play-offs for the first time. They lost out to Portugal in a play-off for a place at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
• Denmark have not scored in their last three competitive games (D2 L1).
• Denmark won their only previous EURO play-off, brushing aside Israel 8-0 on aggregate to reach UEFA EURO 2000.
• Coach Morten Olsen said: "It pleases me that we get the opportunity to decided it all at home. During my time as national coach, we have qualified for major tournaments at home three times – one of these against Sweden [to reach the 2010 World Cup]. Deciding it all in front of your own crowd is always something special."
Trivia and links
• Sweden finished third in Group G behind Austria and Russia; Denmark were third in Group I behind Portugal and Albania.
• Semi-finalists in 1992, Sweden are seeking to make it to the finals of the UEFA European Championship for a sixth time. Denmark have appeared in eight EUROs, memorably lifting the trophy in Sweden in 1992 having been reinstated at the last minute.
• The 1992 European champions, Denmark are the only former winners in the play-offs.
• Coach Olsen will step down at the end of Denmark's UEFA EURO 2016 campaign, having been in charge of the national side since 2000.
• Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimović was the fourth highest scorer in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying with eight goals.
• Sweden defender Michael Antonsson plays in Denmark with FC København, where his team-mates include Denmark's Stephan Andersen, Thomas Delaney and Nicolai Jørgensen.
• Denmark defender Daniel Wass and Sweden forward John Guidetti are club-mates at Celta Vigo in Spain.
