Sweden v Czech Republic predictions: Swedes should make home advantage count

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Sweden v Czech Republic in the European World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Red Button, 7.45pm Thursday

Best bet

Sweden to win to nil
1pt 21-10 Coral, Boyles

Match preview

Visiting teams have found nothing amiable about Sweden’s Friends Arena, where the the hosts are chasing a tenth straight victory in their World Cup playoff against a depleted Czech Republic team.

Back-to-back defeats in their final two group games cost Sweden automatic qualification to Qatar as they finished runners-up in the section but both losses came on the road in Georgia and Spain, and they are a different beast in Solna.

Sweden’s winning run at home includes victories over Spain and Croatia in competitive matches while six of those nine victories were accompanied by a clean sheet.

The Czechs are hoping to secure a place in the World Cup finals for the first time since 2006 but haven’t had much success on their travels recently, losing five of the last seven away games either side of last summer’s Euros.

They failed to score in all five of those defeats and without injured strikers Patrik Schick and Matej Vydra the Czech Republic should pose a minimal threat to Sweden’s stout rearguard.

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