Hello and welcome along to our live blog for the 2022 World Cup qualifier between Sweden and Spain, which will take place at the Friends Arena in Stockholm this Thursday night. Kick off is at 20:45 CEST and we’ll be bringing you minute-by-minute updates once the ball gets rolling, as well as all the build-up and Sweden vs Spain team news beforehand.
Sweden vs Spain Live Score: 0-0
This is the start of our Sweden vs Spain live blog, with our updates following on from here. Remember, the entries nearest the top are the most recent ones.
20:40 CEST: National anthems time
It’s time for the anthems, with Spain‘s up first and then Sweden‘s. With fans in the stands at the Friends Arena, the atmosphere is really building. Kick off is just around the corner!
20:30 CEST: Just 15 minutes to go!
It’s almost time for kick off at the Friends Arena, with the players having completed their warm-ups and having returned to the dressing rooms. You can still have your say in our poll, where you can predict the outcome of this Sweden vs Spain clash.
20:25 CEST: Anthony Taylor is the referee
The referee for this Sweden vs Spain game is Anthony Taylor, from England. He has refereed two Spain games in the past, a 4-1 friendly win over Wales in 2018 and a 6-1 friendly win over Argentina that same year.
20:10 CEST: The other game in Spain and Sweden’s group is over
There was another fixture in World Cup qualifying Group B this Thursday evening, with Kosovo winning 1-0 away at Georgia. That means every team in the group has at least one point.
19:55 CEST: Sweden vs Spain is becoming a familiar battle
You don’t have to go far back in time to find the last meeting between Sweden and Spain, as they were in the same group at Euro 2020 and drew 0-0. They also met in qualification for that tournament, with Spain winning 3-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away.
19:40 CEST: A Spain debut for Carlos Soler
With his inclusion in tonight’s starting XI, Carlos Soler will make his senior debut for the Spanish national team. He has started this season very well, with three goals in three games for Valencia.
19:30 CEST: The starting line-ups are out!
We have the starting line-ups for both teams, with Spain setting up as follows: Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba; Koke, Sergio Busquets, Carlos Soler; Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata, Gerard Moreno. Sweden, meanwhile, have the following starting XI: Robin Olsen; Emil Krafth, Filip Helander, Victor Lindelof, Ludwig Augustinsson; Kristoffer Olsson, Albin Ekdal, Viktor Claesson, Emil Forsberg; Alexander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski.
19:10 CEST: Sweden vs Spain predictions
With under two hours to go until kick off, let’s make some Sweden vs Spain predictions. You can have your say in this poll, predicting if you think La Roja will win, lose or draw.
18:45 CEST: The Spain players are looking sharp
A video shared by the Spanish football federation shows that the Spain players are looking sharp, ahead of their September fixtures. They showed off their passing skills and impressive touch with an extreme rondo.
18:20 CEST: What is the predicted Spain XI vs Sweden?
It’s going to be very interesting to see who Luis Enrique names in tonight’s starting line-up, as the coach may look for continuity after a successful Euro 2020 or he may wish to shake things up a little. This is what we believe the probable XI could be: Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Aymeric Laporte, Inigo Martinez, Jordi Alba; Koke, Sergio Busquets, Carlos Soler; Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata, Pablo Sarabia.
18:00 CEST: What time does Sweden vs Spain kick off?
All of Spain‘s World Cup qualifiers this week are 20:45 CEST kick offs. So, this match at the Friends Arena will get going in just under three hours’ time. For fans watching on from the UK, the game starts at 19:45 BST. For those on the east coast of the USA, kick off is at 14:45 EDT.
