Ukraine vs Sweden predictions: Rebrov’s men to progress

All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.

Tight contest on the cards

Ukraine responded to a heavy 4-0 loss against France by securing a 2-0 victory over Iceland. That result gave them their first clean-sheet win of the qualifiers. Bringing on Oleksii Gutsulyak for the final 15 minutes paid off immediately. He set up Oleksandr Zubkov for the opening goal in the 83rd minute, before sealing the win with a deflected shot during stoppage time.

This victory was their third win across their final four qualifying matches. It will certainly boost Ukraine’s confidence as they aim for their first World Cup appearance since 2006. They should be able to breach a Swedish defence that regularly conceded throughout qualifying.

Sweden set an unwanted historical record with their six-game winless streak during the qualifiers. Their only two points came against Slovenia in their opening and final Group B fixtures. Furthermore, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven matches. Their last shutout came in a 2-0 friendly win against Hungary back in June 2025.

For Ukraine, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Rebrov’s men seem poised to find the back of the net. However, Sweden will take confidence from the fact that Ukraine have recorded just one clean sheet across their previous 13 games. Only two of their six meetings saw either side keep a clean sheet.

• Ukraine vs Sweden Prediction 1: Both teams to score – Yes, at 1.80 on bet365

Sweden’s struggles to continue

Reaching the World Cup finals has proven difficult for Ukraine in recent years. During this qualifying phase, France’s dominance prevented them from taking top spot in Group D. Impressively, Ukraine have suffered only two defeats in the qualifiers, both of which were matches in which they failed to score against the French.

Across their six qualifying games, Rebrov’s team recorded three wins, one draw, and two defeats. This record shows that Ukraine are more than capable of handling mid-tier opponents. In contrast, Sweden have been in incredibly poor form over the exact same period.

The Swedes thought they were off to a decent start, drawing 2-2 against Slovenia. However, that result was followed by four consecutive losses, before another draw against the Slovenians. The only reason they are competing in the play-offs is because of their six-game unbeaten streak in the Nations League.

Sweden’s last victory came during that Nations League tournament, when they comfortably defeated Azerbaijan 6-0 in November 2024. Graham Potter has only been in charge for two games so far, failing to win either of them. Ukraine have everything they need to secure a win here and advance to the play-off final against either Poland or Albania.

• Ukraine vs Sweden Prediction 2: Ukraine to win, at odds of 3.00 on bet365

Entertaining play-off affair

Aside from their two-legged defeat to France, Ukraine went unbeaten and scored regularly in their other qualifiers. Eight of Ukraine’s last 11 fixtures have featured over 2.5 goals, including three of their last four.

They have taken a fairly cautious approach in the early stages of games, managing just one first-half goal across their last three matches. Instead, they usually come out much stronger after the half-time break. Meanwhile, Sweden have been very poor, scoring only a single goal before the interval during their current five-game winless streak.

Away from home, six of Sweden’s previous seven competitive fixtures have seen over 2.5 goals. They have also allowed 19 goals across their last 10 matches on the road. If they put in a solid effort, Sweden could certainly help deliver a high-scoring match at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.

The last time these two nations faced each other, Ukraine secured a dramatic victory to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. This marked the very first time they had reached that stage of a major international tournament.

• Ukraine vs Sweden Prediction 3: Over 2.5 total goals, at odds of 2.10 on bet365

Our analysis: Form of both teams

• Score prediction: Ukraine 2-1 Sweden
• Goalscorers prediction: Ukraine: Ruslan Malinovskyi, Oleksii Gutsulyak; Sweden: Albert Gudmundsson

Levante’s Estadi Ciutat de Valencia is preparing to host a crucial encounter as Ukraine and Sweden travel to Spain for this World Cup qualifier. The winner of this tie will go on to face either Poland or Albania in the play-off final.

Aside from suffering two defeats against France, Ukraine have performed brilliantly throughout their qualifying run. However, those losses proved costly for the Blue and Yellow, as they eventually finished six points behind the group leaders.

Ukraine last appeared in the World Cup back in 2006. Serhiy Rebrov’s side have a real chance at reaching the finals for the first time in two decades. They must navigate the play-off final on neutral territory, where they have lost only one of their last six internationals.

Sweden endured a dismal qualification campaign, finishing bottom of Group B after six winless fixtures. This marked the very first time in their history that they failed to secure a single victory during a qualifying group.

The Blagult’s performance in the Nations League ultimately saved them. Sweden remained unbeaten across six games in that competition before their recent poor run of form started.

Ukraine and Sweden will fight for bragging rights, ultimately setting a date with either Poland or Albania. Fans can expect a tightly contested match in Valencia, with Ukraine progressing to the final qualification round.

Probable lineups for Ukraine vs Sweden

Ukraine expected lineup: Trubin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi Svatok, Mykolenko, Malinovskyi, Shaparenko, Sudakov, Tsygankov, Yaremchuk, Zubkov

Sweden expected lineup: Johansson, Holm, Lindelof, Hien, Gudmundsson, Elanga, Kallstrom, Svanberg, Forsberg, Lidberg, Nygren