2016 UEFA Euro in France June 10 - July 10,2016 - Group E Italy Vs Sweden Friday June 17,2016

Group E  Italy Vs Sweden Match Preview

Prior to this summer, Italy had won their opening match just twice at eight European Championship finals, but there was no slow start for the Azzurri in Lyon on Monday.

A 2-0 win Vs Belgium - the highest-placed European side in the Fifa rankings - demonstrated that Italy are being shaped into a formidable unit by coach Antonio Conte.

"Dream Italy, Dream" was the headline the following morning in La Gazzetta dello Sport, which hailed "Conte's Miracle", while Corriere dello Sport led with "Viva Italia". After largely stodgy displays in qualifying, the Italian media were delighted to see Conte's side produce a performance to be proud of.

In contrast to the Italians, Sweden looked flat in their game against the Republic of Ireland,snatching a 1-1 draw despite failing to even register a shot on target.


Match Facts


Head-to-head

• The Republic of Ireland have won three of 10 matches against Sweden, losing five of those games.
• They are winless in six competitive encounters with the Swedes (D2, L4), although none of those games were at major tournaments.
• The teams met in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. They drew 0-0 in Solna before Sweden won 2-1 in Dublin.
• Sweden have failed to score in three of their last four games against the Republic of Ireland.

Italy

• Seven of Italy's last nine goals against Sweden have come in the first half.
• Italy are unbeaten in 11 competitive games under Antonio Conte (W8, D3). Their last defeat came against Uruguay at the 2014 World Cup (under Cesare Prandelli).
• Italy have never scored more than two goals in their 34 games at European Championship finals.
• The Azzurri have kept three successive clean sheets. A fourth shut-out would be their best run since a four-match streak during the 2006 World Cup (which they went on to win).
• The Azzurri have only lost two of their 22 games at the group stage of the European Championship (W11, D9).
• Antonio Candreva has been directly involved in three goals in his last two appearances for Italy (one goal, two assists).

Sweden

• Sweden have only won three of their last 15 games at the European Championship (D5, L7).
• The Swedes drew 1-1 against the Republic of Ireland despite not having a single shot on target.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic can become the first player to score at four different European Championships. He has six goals in 11 matches so far - including one against Italy at Euro 2004.
• Sweden's last seven goals have been scored by seven different players (including one own goal)

Group E  Italy  beat Sweden 1-0 and enter the QF's

Italy are through to the last 16 of the European Championship finals after Eder struck late  in the 88th minute to beat Sweden.

The game looked to be heading towards a dull goalless draw before Eder raced onto Zaza's knockdown to drive home from the edge of the box.

Sweden failed to produce a shot on goal for the second successive game, with captain and star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept quiet throughout.

Italy are top of Group E with six points while Sweden are third on one.

Belgium and Republic of Ireland meet in their second Group E game on Saturday afternoon.

Italy will stay top regardless of the result in that game and can wrap up first place by beating Republic of Ireland in their final group game on Wednesday evening.

Sweden face Belgium at the same time and will realistically need a win to progress.


Match Statistics

• Three players started this game who also started the last time the two sides met at the Euro finals in 2004; Buffon for Italy and Isaksson and Ibrahimovic for Sweden (Kallstrom started in 2016 and came on as a sub in 2004).
• Eder scored with his first shot on target of the Euro 2016 finals.
• The goal, which came on 88 minutes, was also the first shot on target in the second-half of the game.
• Sweden are the first side not to have mustered a single shot on target in their first two games of a European Championships finals since 1980.
• There were just 12 shots overall in this game, the fewest in a single European Championships finals game since 1980.
• Italy are yet to concede a goal at Euro 2016 and have kept four clean sheets in their last six Euro finals games.
• There have been more goals scored at Euro 2016 in the last five minutes (11) than in the first-half of games so far (10).
• Six different players have been involved in Italy's three goals in the competition so far (goals from Giaccherini, Pelle and Eder, assists from Candreva, Bonucci and Zaza).