Romania vs Sweden – News and Probable Lineups

On Monday evening, Romania hosts Sweden at the Arena Nationala, aware that another loss would extinguish their chances of finishing first in Nations League B Group 4 and achieving automatic promotion to the top tier.

The visitors, on the other hand, aim to solidify their position at the top after accumulating seven points from their first three matches of the season.

Match overview

Sweden is on track for consecutive promotions in the Nations League, having moved up to League B at the start of this campaign and currently leads Group B4 with a two-point advantage after three fixtures.

Beginning their campaign with a 2-1 victory in their opening match against Romania, Graham Potter’s team followed up with a 3-1 win over Poland before producing another solid performance during their first away trip in Zenica on Friday night.

The Scandinavians looked set for a third straight victory when Viktor Gyokeres gave them the lead against Bosnia-Herzegovina early in the second half, but they ultimately settled for a 1-1 draw after Kerim Alajbegovic found the equalizer late in the match.

This result further underscored the team’s strengths and weaknesses in both attack and defense, as Sweden has yet to keep a clean sheet in 13 games since Potter took over in October last year. Despite this, they have only been held scoreless once during that period, a 3-0 defeat to France in the World Cup round of 32.

The former Chelsea manager has overseen five victories in those 13 matches (D4, L4) and now has a chance to improve his winning percentage against a side he has beaten four out of the last five times they met (L1), scoring multiple goals in all those wins.

Romania, conversely, has seen its campaign move in the opposite direction, as three defeats have left Gheorghe Hagi’s team at the bottom of the group without any points, becoming more vulnerable after each game.

While their first-leg defeat to Sweden in Solna in September seemed spirited to an extent, Romania’s 4-2 home loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina was more disheartening. Things took a turn for the worse on Friday when they were blown away 6-0 by Poland in Warsaw.

Radu Dragusin’s dismissal in the 22nd minute proved detrimental, as Romania conceded a penalty after the defender fouled an opponent last man. Robert Lewandowski converted the spot-kick and completed his hat-trick in a second half that saw five goals scored.

This defeat marked the Tricolours’ heaviest loss since a 7-1 drubbing against Switzerland in the European qualifiers in 1967 and left Romania with just one win in their last seven matches this year.

Facing the possibility of their first relegation from the second tier of the Nations League since the tournament’s launch, the home side can at least take some solace in the fact that they have won four of their last five home fixtures and may view their latest loss in Bucharest as merely a blip.

Team News

Sweden is anticipated to be without Alexander Isak, who left the squad due to a minor injury sustained during the initial encounter with Romania, while Emil Holm is also unavailable following a thigh issue in that match.

Carl Starfelt went off with a thigh injury last time out and will be absent for Monday’s clash, leaving Eric Smith, who filled in for him, and new inclusion Victor Eriksson competing for a position in central defence.

Gyokeres is likely to lead the attack again after extending his record-breaking scoring streak in the Nations League against Bosnia, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive matches in the competition.

Sweden also faced issues with illness before the Bosnia fixture, with Yasin Ayari, Benjamin Nygren, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Elliot Stroud, and Patrik Walemark among those who were unavailable, though replacements have been added to the squad.

Romania, meanwhile, will be missing Dragusin, who is expected to serve a suspension after his sending-off last time, while Virgil Ghița will also be out due to a one-match ban stemming from accumulated bookings.

With both centre-backs unavailable for Monday’s match, coach Hagi will need to reorganize his defence, considering Andrei Coubis as a viable option after his previous performance, while the experienced Andrei Burca could also feature, along with Bogdan Racovitan and Matei Ilie.

In fact, the 61-year-old manager made numerous adjustments against Poland, with Ionut Radu likely returning in goal after Otto Hindrich conceded six goals in Warsaw.

Romania probable starting XI

Radu; Ratiu, Coubis, Burca, Eissat; Olaru, M Marin, Baluta, Stanciu; Man, Birligea

Sweden probable starting XI

Johansson; Gudmundsson, Lindelof, E Smith, Dahl; Bernhardsson, Larsson, Karlstrom, Nanasi; Gyokeres, Zeneli

Sweden holds an edge in terms of rhythm and recent encounters, suggesting away victory is attainable, particularly against a depleted Romanian squad that will look to fill gaps in defence.

The hosts are likely to manage to score as well, given Sweden’s inconsistency in defense under Potter, indicating there should be goals from both sides in this fixture.