Game Preview - Republic of Ireland vs. Sweden - World Cup Qualifying - September 9th, 2013

Republic of Ireland are hosts to Sweden in a decisive, Group C, matchup on Friday, September 6th at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

This is a big game for both Republic of Ireland and Sweden. After six matches played in the World Cup qualifying Group C, we have Germany on top with 16 points, while Austria, Sweden and Republic of Ireland have 11 points each. At the bottom of the tables are Kazakhstan with one point and Faroe Islands with zero points.

A victory for either Republic of Ireland or Sweden on Friday, would likely mean a temporary hold on the the number two position in the group, with three rounds of games remaining to be played. Austria are visiting Germany on the same day, and the odds are that the Germans will take care of business in front of their own fans.

Let's take a look at the odds for the upcoming match in Dublin:

Republic of Ireland: 17/10
Draw: 9/4
Sweden: 8/5

This is going to be a close game according to the odds. A 100 € bet on Republic of Ireland could bring in 170 € in profit, while the same bet on Sweden could bring in 160 € in profit. The most likely score, according to the odds, is a 1-1 draw, valued at 5/1 (bet 100 € for a chance to profit 500 €).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the favourite to score for Sweden at 21/20 (bet 100 € for a chance to profit 105 €), and Robbie Keane is the favourite to score for Republic of Ireland at 11/8 (bet 100 € for a chance to profit 137 €).

The two teams have already met in the qualifications earlier this year in Solna, Sweden. The score in that match was a 0-0. Both Republic of Ireland and Sweden have to face Austria and Germany in their remaining games, which makes the match on Friday that much more important.

Who do you have on September 6th? Will Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the star of Paris Saint-Germain, prevail, or will it be the LA Galaxy goalscorer Robbie Keane.

This should be a battle. Tune in if you can.