| SecondWar said: Sweden look rather toothless going forward and aren't holding possesion as well as Ukraine. Aside from that, Ukraine look rather average. Still reckon both teams with have problems against England and France. Based on today, France will slice Sweden and Ukraine wide open whilst England will most likely hold up play then catch them with a sucker-punch move, similar to how they did in the warm-up friendlies aginst Belgium and Norway. |
Standing by this statement now the match has finished. Reckon Ukraine will be encourage by their win and go out and attack France, neglecting their shaby looking defence and hoping they can match France's attacking threat. Feel they will fail and get torn apart by France's stonger squad. Sweden will likely try and play on the counter-attack against England, which has been proven to work aginst teams in this tournament and it is probably something England would be vunerable to. However, given the way Hodgson has shaped the team, I feel England will set up in a way that will prevent this strategy from being very effective. Like France, they have a stronger squad than Sweden and over the 90 minutes, will probably split Sweden open a few times and grab a 1-0 or 2-0 win.
Final matchday, France will tear Swden apart, winning the group on goal difference. Hosts Ukraine, having won one and lost one, will be under pressure to make the knockout stages and will be feeling that burden, and that could impact their play. England should again be well set up and, most importantly, have Rooney back and as a result carry significantly more attacking threat (something they lacked against France). Young, Rooney and Welbeck will likely give the Ukraine backline a real headache (playing together at club level will help their understanding within the England team). Ukraine will get beaten.
That's my prediction base don tonight's games. Likely I will get proven wrong, as is often the case will football, but I'm back to being quietly confident on England's chances.
