After Germany’s shock loss to Mexico in the first World Cup 2018 Group F match, all eyes turn to today’s Sweden vs South Korea.
The World Cup 2018 so far has seen a series of upsets and underwhelming performances from tournament favourites, with Argentina and Brazil dropping points in their opening game.
Other top teams such as France and Uruguay, while opening their World Cup 2018 accounts with a win, certainly didn’t look as comfortable as initially expected. And then there’s Germany.
The clash between Sweden and South Korea takes on extra significance after Germany, the current World Cup champions registered a surprising loss against the underdogs, Mexico.
Sweden vs South Korea is the second Group F clash after Germany vs Mexico finished with the World Champions losing 1-0
A win for either Sweden or South Korea could go a long way to ensuring progression out of the group stages, perhaps at the expense of Joachim Low’s side.
Here is all you need to know about Sweden vs South Korea Group F clash including when and where is it, how to watch it and head-to-head stats and odds.
When and what time can I watch in the UK?
Sweden vs South Korea is set to kick-off at 1pm BST on Monday, 18th June.
When and what time can I watch in Australia?
Australians will be able to watch the match at 10pm ACT.
When and what time can I watch in the US?
In America, World Cup fans can catch the game at 8am ET.
How can I watch Sweden vs South Korea in the UK, the US, and Australia?
Where is the Sweden vs South Korea match happening?
Sweden vs South Korea will be played at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod. The stadium of Russian football team FC Olimpiyets, it has a 44,899-seat capacity.
The stadium will host in total four first-round group matches, one last-16 clash, and one quarter-final.
Sweden/South Korea squads
Sweden squad
Goalkeepers: Karl-Johan Johnsson (Guingamp), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea), Robin Olsen (Copenhagen).
Defenders: Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen), Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Filip Helander (Bologna), Pontus Jansson (Leeds), Emil Krafth (Bologna), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Victor Lindelof (Manchester United), Martin Olsson (Swansea).
Midfielders: Viktor Claesson (Krasnodar), Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Emil Forsberg (Leipzig), Oscar Hiljemark (Genoa), Sebastian Larsson (Hull), Marcus Rohden (Crotone), Gustav Svensson (Seattle Sounders).
Forwards: Marcus Berg (Al Ain), John Guidetti (Alaves), Isaac Kiese Thelin (Waasland-Beveren), Ola Toivonen (Toulouse).
South Korea squad
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Vissel Kobe), Kim Jin-hyeon (Cerezo Osaka), Cho Hyun-woo (Daegu)
Defenders: Kim young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), Jang Hyun-soo (Tokyo), Jung Seung-hyun (Sagan Tosu), Yun Young-sun (Seongnam FC), Oh Ban-suk (Jeju United), Park Joo-ho (Ulsan Hyundai), Hong Chul (Sangju Sangmu), Go Yo-han (Seoul), Lee Yong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng (Swansea), Jung Woo-young (Vissel Kobe), Ju Se-jong (Asan Mugunghwa), Lee Jae-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Moon Seon-min (Incheon United), Kim Min-woo (Suwon Bluewings), Ja-cheol Koo (Augsburg), Seung-Woo Lee (Hellas Verona)
Forwards: Kim Shin-wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Red Bull Salzburg)
Sweden vs South Korea head-to-head
Sweden’s best-ever World Cup finish came in 1958, when the country finished as runners-up behind Brazil.
South Korea meanwhile finished fourth in the 2002 World Cup.
Sweden has a good head-to-head record against South Korea, having never lost to them in three meetings.
The teams first meet in 1996, when the Swedes came away with a 2-0 win. The other two matches, however, ended in draws.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2005.
Swedish Players to watch out for
RB Leipzig’s star winger Emil Forsberg is one to watch as he provides Sweden’s main attacking threat, while Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof is looking to prove a point following a disappointing first season at Old Trafford.
South Korean players to watch out for
Tottenham Hotspurs’ Son Heung-Min was once on his way out of the North London club, but has since ended up staying and discovering a rich vein of form, scoring 18 goals last season.
Also keep an eye out on Lee Jae-Sung, K-League’s Most Valuable Player for 2017.