UEFA Nations League 2020/21: Sweden vs Croatia – tactical analysis

Sweden came into this game having lost their two previous games in the UEFA Nations League. They were in last place of their group and needed to win to have a chance of staying in League A. Having France, Portugal, and Croatia meant it was a very tough group which is highlighted by this victory being their first. They do not depend on themselves to stay in the league as they will have to see what Croatia do in their next game.

However, they have an interesting team with the likes of Victor Lindelöf from Manchester United and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus who could make the difference.

Having lost this game, Croatia are now on the same points as Sweden who are last in the group. They need to be careful because if they lose or draw the next game, Sweden will just have to win to stay in the league and relegate Croatia.

The 2018 World Cup finalists still have a great team, with the talent of Luka Modrić from Real Madrid and Mateo Kovačić from Chelsea among others.

In this tactical analysis, we will observe how both teams used their tactics to try and be superior. In this analysis, we will talk about how they pressed and how they attacked.

Lineups

Sweden played in a 4-4-2, with Dejan Kulusevski and Marcus Berg leading the attack. On the sides were Emil Forsberg and Sebastian Larsson, with Mikael Lustig and Pierre Bengtsson as full-backs. The two midfielders were Albin Ekdal and Kristoffer Olsson. Dominating the defence were Victor Lindelöf and Marcus Danielson and Robin Olsen played in goal.

On the other side, Croatia played in a 4-2-3-1. Dominik Livaković started in goal, while the back four consisted of Borna Barišić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Marin Pongračić, and Filip Uremović. The two pivots were Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić, with Nikola Vlašić as attacking midfielder. The wingers were Ivan Perišić and Josip Brekalo, having Ante Budimir as the reference in attack.