Sweden hosts Poland in Nations League with injury concerns on both sides

Sweden and Poland meet in UEFA Nations League Group B on 28 September 2026 at Strawberry Arena in Solna, with kick-off at 14:45 local time. Sweden enters the fixture having won their opening match 2-1 against Romania, while Poland drew 0-0 at home against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The teams have a recent history of high-scoring encounters: Sweden won their most recent meeting 3-2 in March 2026 World Cup qualification, with Viktor Gyökeres scoring the decisive goal in the 88th minute. Poland won a qualification playoff 2-0 in March 2022, and the teams also drew 3-2 at Euro 2020 in 2021.

Sweden's preparation has been complicated by injury absences. Alexander Isak, who opened the scoring against Romania, departed the squad with a minor injury. Defender Emil Holm sustained a hamstring injury in the Romania match and is uncertain for this fixture. Experienced defender Jälmar Ekdahl also left camp, while Anthony Elanga and Gustaf Lagerbielke remain sidelined from earlier. Graham Potter's team is expected to deploy a 4-4-2 formation, with Benjamin Nygren and Viktor Gyökeres in attack. The hosts have shown an ability to exploit space on the counter-attack despite defensive vulnerabilities—they have not kept a clean sheet in 11 matches under Potter, conceding 24 goals in that span.

Poland manager Jan Urban faces different tactical questions. The 0-0 draw with Bosnia produced only 0.88 expected goals (xG) for the visitors, indicating a lack of offensive threat in open play despite territorial control. Forward Robert Lewandowski appeared fatigued after playing 87 minutes and was seen limping off the pitch. Winger Jakub Kamiński departed injured in the 24th minute against Bosnia and is likely to miss this match. Poland are expected to return to a three-centre-back structure, potentially deploying Sebastian Szymański as an advanced forward to provide support for Lewandowski. The key tactical concern for Urban's side is protecting the flanks, where Sweden exploited space in their March meeting.

Historically, Sweden holds a 16-9 advantage in head-to-head meetings against Poland across all competitions. Recent encounters have consistently produced goals: the last three fixtures between the teams yielded no draws and at least two goals in each match. Sweden's recent form shows mixed results—five wins in their last 21 matches alongside eight losses—though they demonstrated World Cup qualification mettle by defeating both Ukraine and Poland in decisive moments. Poland have recorded five wins, two losses, and three draws in their last ten competitive matches, with Lewandowski (4 goals) and Karol Świderski (3 goals) as primary offensive contributors.