EURO 2016 – Ireland Republic vs Sweden : 00:00 June 14

After experiencing a disappointing Euro 2012, both Sweden and the Republic of Ireland will naturally be seeking an improved tournament at UEFA Euro 2016. The Green Army secured their spot among the 24 sides after deservedly overpowering Bosnia 3-1 during the playoffs, whilst the Blågult edged out fellow Scandinavian side Denmark 4-3 to book their ticket to France.

For their captains, Robbie Keane and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, this could be it. Both men are also the all-time top scorers for their respective nations, with 67 and 62 goals respectively, but at 35 and 34, time is not on their side as they seek to clinch one piece of silverware with their national teams.

Republic of Ireland

Euro 2012 will be a competition Ireland will want to forget in a hurry, as they ended up losing all three matches. It was their worst ever showing, as they scored just one goal whilst shipping nine in a quartet that included Spain, Croatia, and Italy. This time around, they are again in a tough group, alongside number-two ranked side Belgium, familiar foes Italy, and Sweden, but are now under the guidance of a new manager – Martin O’Neill – following Giovanni Trapattoni’s departure after their failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Southampton’s Shane Long will need to have a good tournament in order to bolster Ireland’s chances at getting out of their group. whilst this will probably be the last major tournament for an aging Robbie Keane

Whilst Keane, who scored five of Ireland’s 19 goals during qualifying will want to have a say, Southampton’s Shane Long will be the go-to player for the side after having a good campaign with the Saints during which he netted 13 goals and helped them secure a spot in the upcoming Europa League.

O’Neill reportedly has some fitness concerns regarding Keane, striker Jonathan Walters, and defender Robbie Brady, but all apparently are back in training with the squad. Walters’s return will be especially encouraging especially considering that he scored five goals for the Green Army during their qualifying campaign.

Ireland were not impressive during their friendlies leading up to this tournament, with two draws against Slovakia and the Netherlands followed by a disappointing 2-1 reversal against Belarus, and their support will be hoping that it’s not a sign of things to come.

Sweden

For Sweden, Erik Hamrén will be relying largely on one man: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The superstar striker is coming off a highly prolific season with PSG, which saw him net a whopping 50 goals in 51 goals across all competitions, including 31 alone in Ligue 1.

Yet for all his accomplishments with his numerous clubs, which also include Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Inter, and Ajax, Ibrahimovic has not been able to taste the same kind of success with his national side. During qualifiers, he netted eight out of the team’s 15 overall goals – including three during their 4-3 win over Denmark in the play-offs. As such, it goes without saying that Sweden will need him to have a big tournament if they want to have any shot at progressing from their group.

At 34, time is rapidly running out for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to add a title with Sweden to match his impressive haul from his numerous clubs

Sweden’s performance in their friendlies heading into this competition was largely mixed, with two draw scoreless draws against the Czech Republic and Slovenia, but they rebounded in style by thrashing Wales 3-0, which will certainly be encouraging as they prepare for a tough test ahead.

Republic of Ireland vs Sweden – Did you know?

•  Ireland’s record against Sweden is three wins, two draws, and five losses…
• …however, they have never beaten the Scandinavian side in a competitive fixture, with two draws and four losses
• Irish shot-stopper Shay Given could be the first ever 40-year-old to play at a Euro final should he feature on Monday
• Not surprisingly, Ireland have the oldest team at the tournament, with an average age of 29.39 years and 11 players over the age of 30
• Sweden have the tallest average squad – with a mean height of 1.86 meters – out of the 24 sides featuring
• Sweden have failed to score in three of their last four games against the Republic of Ireland.