Sweden v Spain Live Commentary & Result, 02/09/2021, WC Qualification Europe

1′ Koke gets the game underway for Spain!

The teams are out on the pitch, the national anthems have been sung, and kick-off is just moments away!

Spain are unbeaten in their last 66 World Cup qualifiers (W52 D14), since a 1-0 defeat at Copenhagen’s Parken against Denmark in March 1993.

Luis Enrique also makes three changes to his team after their semi-final defeat as he brings in Soler, Morata and Moreno. Pedri, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal are being rested after playing in both the Euros and the Olympics.

Jan Andersson makes just three changes to the side that started in the last 16 in the Euros. Sebastian Larsson and Mikael Lustig both retired from international football after the tournament and Marcus Danielson is serving a suspension after being sent off in the match, so Krafth, Helander and Claesson come in.

SPAIN SUBS: Pablo Sarabia, Adama Traore, Pablo Fornals, Inigo Martinez, David de Gea, Rodrigo, Jose Gaya, Brais Mendez, Marcos Llorente, Abel Ruiz, Robert Sanchez, Raul Albiol.

SPAIN STARTING XI (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Aymeric Laporte, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba; Koke, Sergio Busquets, Carlos Soler; Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata, Gerard Moreno.

SWEDEN SUBS: Jens Cajuste, Martin Olsson, Mattias Svanberg, Jesper Karlsson, Joakim Nilsson, Pontus Dahlberg, Jordan Larsson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Isaac Thelin, Robin Quaison, Mattias Johansson, Ken Sema.

SWEDEN STARTING XI (4-4-2): Robin Olsen; Emil Krafth, Filip Helander, Victor Lindelof, Ludwig Augustinsson; Viktor Claesson, Kristoffer Olsson, Albin Ekdal, Emil Forsberg; Dejan Kulusevski, Alexander Isak. 

After a Euro 2020 campaign in which Spain made it all the way to the semi-final, they’re now looking to qualify for next year’s World Cup. They’re sitting top of Group B, having gone unbeaten in their three games so far with wins over Georgia and Kosovo after an opening match draw with Greece. They face a Sweden side who narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot to Ukraine at the Euros, and who have won their opening two qualifiers, beating Georgia and Kosovo to sit second behind today’s opponents.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the European World Cup Qualifier between Sweden and Spain at the Friends Arena!