Russia v Sweden background

Russia are in danger of losing touch with the top two in Group G as Sweden come to Moscow knowing a win would be a major step toward UEFA EURO 2016.

Previous meetings
• With Zlatan Ibrahimović out injured, Sweden went behind to a tenth-minute Aleksandr Kokorin goal in their first Group G meeting with Russia, but rallied; Sebastian Larsson had a penalty saved before Ola Toivonen made it 1-1 in the second half.

• Russia have now met Sweden five times since the demise of the Soviet Union, with the record W1 D2 L2 (W0 D1 L0 in Russia).

• Two of those encounters came at final tournaments, firstly at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where Tommy Svensson's Sweden beat Pavel Sadyrin's Russia 3-1.

• The teams in Detroit on 24 June 1994 were:
Sweden: Ravelli, R Nilsson, P Andersson, Björklund (Erlingmark 89), Ljung, Brolin, Thern, Schwarz, Ingesson, Dahlin, K Andersson (H Larsson 84).
Russia: Kharin, Gorlukovich, Popov (Karpin 40), Onopko, Khlestov, Nikoforov, Mostovoi, Kuznetsov, Salenko, Borodyuk (Galyamin 51), Radchenko.

• Guus Hiddink's Russia won 2-0 when the sides met at UEFA EURO 2008. The teams in Innsbruck on 18 June 2008 were:
Russia: Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Kolodin, Arshavin, Semak, Bilyaletdinov (Saenko 66), Zyryanov, Zhirkov, Pavlyuchenko (Bystrov 90), Semshov, Anyukov.
Sweden: Isaksson, M Nilsson (Allbäck 79), Mellberg, Hansson, Stoor, Svensson, Ljungberg, Ibrahimović, Elmander, H Larsson, D Andersson (Källström 56).

• Sweden encountered the Soviet Union seven times with the record W3 D2 L2 (W1 D2 L1 at home – W2 D0 L1 away). Those games included a 2-0 Sweden win at the 1958 World Cup, in Stockholm, and a 1964 UEFA European Championship quarter-final.

• Before the formation of the Soviet Union, Russia beat Sweden 4-1 in Moscow on 4 May 1913, but drew 2-2 in Stockholm on 5 July 1914.

Disciplinary
• Russia midfielder Denis Glushakov is a yellow card away from a suspension.

• Kim Källström is absent through suspension. Sweden duo Albin Ekdal and Ibrahimović are both a booking away from a one-game ban.

Form guide
• Russia's 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in their Group G opener remains their only win over 90 minutes in the section – they were awarded a default win after crowd problems halted their game in Montenegro.

• Russia failed to win their last two Group G home games (D1 L1) – they had won their previous seven home qualifiers on the trot, a run stretching back to 2011.

• Sweden remain unbeaten in six Group G games; they have not conceded more than once in any single game in the section to date.

• Sweden are unbeaten in nine UEFA European Championship qualifiers (W6 D3) since a 2-1 loss in Hungary in September 2011.

Trivia and links
• Leonid Slutski was appointed Russia coach on 7 August, and will combine the position with his role at PFC CSKA Moskva. Fabio Capello left the job in July.

• CSKA defender Nikita Chernov made his second international appearance in the defeat against Austria in June – extraordinary, since he is yet to make his competitive debut for his club.

• Sweden midfielder Pontus Wernbloom plays his club football in Russia with CSKA.

• Sweden and Russia have met in five UEFA age-group competitions with the Swedes' record W1 D1 L3. Most recently the sides drew in the semi-finals of the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Slovakia, Russia eventually winning 10-9 on penalties en route to winning the competition.

• The nations' clubs have met in 16 UEFA competition games, with the Swedish sides' record in those games reading W4 D3 L9.