Both Slovakia and Sweden caused upsets their Group E openers, but who will prevail as the pair meet on Friday? Liam Kelly previews the clash, selecting two best bets.
Group E looks wide open following the first round of results.
Slovakia were surprise 2-1 victors over Poland on Monday, while Sweden held giants Spain to a 0-0 draw in the sweltering heat of Seville, earning reward for what was a rather conservative display.
Kick-off time: 14:00 BST, Friday
TV channel: BBC One
Venue: Gazprom Arena - Saint Petersburg, Russia
The point was won courtesy of a wasteful Spain attack rather than solid defence, though, with Luis Enrique's side missing chances equating to 2.89 Expected Goals (xG) in the goalless draw.
However, that won't put me off tipping up SWEDEN TO WIN TO NIL in this match-up.
It is well-known that Sweden are an astute defensive side, so an off day against a top team, in what was essentially an away game, is not enough to worry me in this upcoming fixture.
Despite claiming three points, Slovakia were hardly a force going forward in their 2-1 win over Poland, relying on an own goal and a Milan Škriniar stunner to claim victory.
Admittedly, Pavel Hapal's side were holding a lead for a large portion of the game, but an xG total of 0.50 is poor given they played against ten men for a considerable amount of time.
It's unlikely they will push too far forward against Sweden after Monday's win put them in position to qualify for the round of 16.
Isak the chief danger
Although they managed just 15% possession against Spain, Sweden did pose a threat on the counter, creating two high-quality scoring chances (0.45 and 0.62 xG). ALEXANDER ISAK was involved in almost everything Sweden did well in attack before his shock substitution.
Isak's standout performance is of particular interest now that Sweden enter much calmer waters. Given he is 7/2 to score first, the 2/1 available TO SCORE ANYTIME looks good value.
The Real Sociedad striker has had an incredible season at club level, scoring 17 goals from 17.8 xG in 34 La Liga games, enough to earn him the Young Player of the Season award in Spain.
Sweden have the obvious edge in quality, and will see this as the perfect opportunity to progress to the next round themselves. It won't be a surprise if Isak plays a key part in a Sweden win.
Sweden v Slovakia best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Sweden to win to nil at 7/4 (SkyBet)
- 1pt Alexander Isak to score anytime at 2/1 (SkyBet)
Score prediction: Sweden 2-0 Slovakia (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)
Odds correct 1400 BST (15/06/21)
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