Sweden and Russia clash in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign on Thursday, with both looking to bounce back from recent disappointments. Sweden were aggrieved to have failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup in Brazil, while the shockingly poor showing of Fabio Capello's Russia at said tournament -- they were eliminated in the group stages -- has left them smarting.
Sweden vs. Russia live stream: How to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Sweden host Russia in one of the more unpredictable Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Jamie McDonald
However, Russia did kick off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign well, recording a solid 4-0 victory over minnows Liechtenstein in their last match. Sweden weren't quite as convincing, and were held to a 1-1 draw against Austria. They certainly won't want to drop any more points. Alas, they will be without talisman Zlatan Ibrahimović for this match, with the big striker ruled out through injury. CSKA Moscow midfielder Rasmus Elm will also be a big miss.
Key player - Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Russia)
Russia's veteran striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov is now 31 years old, but the nation's all-time record goalscorer is still a force to be reckoned with. He remains the most imposing attacking threat in the Russia squad, and though the younger Aleksandr Kokorin has threatened to usurp him, the 23-year-old is yet to truly convince on the international stage.
Key question - Will Sweden cope without Zlatan?
Unsurprisingly Sweden are quite a lot worse without Zlatan Ibrahimović, who has scored a phenomenal 50 goals in his century of international appearances. However, if they want to stand a chance of winning this match, they’ll need to try and cope without him. They’re massive boots for Johan Elmander, Ola Toivonen or youngster Branimir Hrgota to try and fill.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
TV: Fox Soccer Plus (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Kanal 5 Sweden (Sweden), Rossiya 1, Setanta Sports Eurasia + (Russia)
Online: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.)
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