In fact, if the game turns out anywhere near as exciting as when these sides last met back in October 2012, it will probably be the highlight of the international week. On that day, Sweden battled back from four goals down in the second half to draw 4-4, leaving Germany stunned in Berlin.
Sweden vs. Germany, 2014 World Cup qualifying: Preview and TV schedule
Sweden and Germany have nothing other than pride to fight for on Tuesday, though if the reverse fixture is anything to go by, this game should still be worth watching.
However, that didn’t stop Joachim Löw’s team comfortably finishing top of their group, having won every single one of their group games so far. They guaranteed qualification with a routine 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last Friday, while Sweden extended their winning run to five matches by defeating Austria. They are now locked into the second place playoff spot, and can’t be overtaken.
They will be able to field a full-strength team if coach Erik Hamrén so desires, with only Cagliari midfielder Albin Ekdal missing out through injury. Germany suffered a trio of withdrawals through injury, with Marco Reus and Sven and Lars Bender all pulling out.
Projected lineups
Sweden: Andreas Isaksson; Martin Olsson, Mikael Antonsson, Per Nilsson, Mikael Lustig; Alexander Kačaniklić, Rasmus Elm, Anders Svensson, Sebastian Larsson; Zlatan Ibrahimović, Johan Elmander
Germany: Manuel Neuer; Marcell Jansen, Jerome Boateng, Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira; André Schürrle, Mesut Özil, Toni Kroos; Thomas Müller
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
TV: Gol TV USA (U.S.), Gol TV Canada (Canada), TV4 Sweden, SVT Play (Sweden), ZDF Sport (Germany)
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