Sweden vs Northern Ireland Predictions

• Six of Northern Ireland’s last eight games have featured under 2.5 goals
• Northern Ireland are unbeaten in five matches
• Sweden have lost only one of their last seven fixtures

NI can frustrate Swedes

Sweden suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Luxembourg in an international friendly on Saturday and goals could again be at a premium when they square up against Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Even though they dominated possession, Sweden were restricted to just two shots on target in their most recent friendly encounter and they could also be flustered by a defensively resolute Northern Ireland unit.

Northern Ireland held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw in their international friendly on Friday, extending their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions.

As part of that sequence they kept clean sheets against Belarus home and away and Bulgaria and they can continue to build their confidence by stifling Sweden.

Both Dejan Kulusevski and Viktor Gyokeres are missing from the current Sweden squad and Alexander Isak was kept quiet by Luxembourg last time out.

Friendlies like this are always a good time for experimentation, so do not expect either attack to operating at full tilt.

Indeed, it could be a pretty tepid affair and neither team will go down easily given that Northern Ireland last lost a game in September last year and Sweden have fallen to defeat just once in their previous seven assignments.

Therefore, under 2.5 goals is the most appropriate pick for the friendly in Stockholm.

As for a correct score pick, a 1-1 draw looks most suitable.