Sweden vs Poland: A Familiar Rivalry Returns With New Stakes

The memory of March still hangs over this meeting, but Sweden and Poland arrive at the Strawberry Arena with a very different competition in front of them. Sweden defeated Romania 2-1 in their opening Nations League match, while Poland were held to a goalless draw by Bosnia and Herzegovina. That immediately gives Graham Potter’s side a chance to build on a winning start, while Jan Urban’s team need a response without allowing the occasion to become dominated by the World Cup play-off that Sweden won earlier this year. UEFA lists this as a League B Group B4 fixture, with both teams also due to meet again in Poland in November. The previous competitive meeting in Solna ended 3-2 to Sweden in March, but neither coaching staff can simply reproduce that game plan. The question before kickoff is therefore how Poland handle Sweden’s attacking threat while finding enough control to prevent Viktor Gyökeres from receiving the kind of space he exploited against Romania.

Sweden’s attacking structure has already shown what it can offer, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres both scoring against Romania before Isak was forced out of the international window through injury. Gyökeres remains a major reference point for Potter, particularly because Sweden can combine direct running with the ability to move the ball through Lucas Bergvall, Yasin Ayari and Sebastian Nanasi. Poland have their own experienced attacking outlet in Robert Lewandowski, supported by players such as Piotr Zieliński, Sebastian Szymański and Nicola Zalewski. The central tactical issue could be whether Poland can connect those midfield players with Lewandowski often enough instead of allowing Sweden to dictate the territory. Potter has previously spoken about improving Sweden’s defensive compactness and reducing the number of chances conceded, with Victor Lindelöf also stressing the importance of keeping the team compact. That defensive work becomes especially important now because Sweden have lost several defenders and their leading striker from the squad during the current window.

The confirmed injury situation is particularly significant for Sweden, where Emil Holm left camp after suffering a hamstring injury against Romania, while Hjalmar Ekdal and Alexander Isak were subsequently ruled unavailable for the remaining Nations League matches because of minor injuries. The Swedish Football Association confirmed that neither Ekdal nor Isak would be available for the upcoming matches and that no replacements would initially be called in. Poland also made injury-related changes before the camp, with Adrian Benedyczak, Kamil Grabara and Filip Rózga withdrawing because of injuries. PZPN replaced Grabara and Rózga with Bartłomiej Drągowski and Marcel Reguła, while Benedyczak was not retained in the current group. There is no officially documented long-term injury designation in the sources checked for either side, so none is artificially placed in the Long-Term / IR category below. Sweden, meanwhile, received a positive update on Besfort Zeneli, with Potter confirming that the midfielder is available after recovering from a foot problem.

What the press is concentrating on before kickoff is the combination of Sweden’s strong recent head-to-head position and Poland’s opportunity to answer after the disappointing opening draw. Potter has described Poland as a strong side and previously warned that the Nations League fixtures would be demanding, while Swedish coverage has focused heavily on the latest injury setbacks and the challenge of replacing Isak without changing the team’s overall attacking identity. Polish coverage is also framing the match through the March play-off defeat, making this another meeting in which the recent history is impossible to ignore. The Swedish coach has stressed that the objective is not to manage the schedule conservatively, despite four Nations League matches being packed into an 11-day period. Poland’s official squad still contains Lewandowski, Zieliński, Szymański, Zalewski, Matty Cash and Jakub Kiwior, giving Urban several established international players around whom to shape the side. With Sweden starting on three points and Poland on one, the match has an immediate Group B4 significance before the teams meet again later in the autumn.

🩺 Confirmed Injury & Absence Report

Sweden

Sweden — Injury Report
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Out / Ruled Out	Emil Holm	Hamstring injury sustained against Romania
Out / Ruled Out	Hjalmar Ekdal	Minor injury; unavailable for the Nations League matches
Out / Ruled Out	Alexander Isak	Minor injury; unavailable for the Nations League matches

Poland

Poland — Injury Report
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Out / Ruled Out	Adrian Benedyczak	Injury; withdrew from the international camp
Out / Ruled Out	Kamil Grabara	Injury; withdrew from the international camp
Out / Ruled Out	Filip Rózga	Injury; withdrew from the international camp

🔵 Squad Leaders & Matchday Personnel

Official starting XIs had not been released when this preview was prepared. The tables therefore show confirmed squad personnel and relevant match roles rather than predicted lineups.

Sweden
Position	Player	Key Detail
Goalkeeper	Viktor Johansson	Started against Romania
Defender	Victor Lindelöf	Sweden captain and defensive leader
Midfielder	Lucas Bergvall	Central midfield option
Forward	Viktor Gyökeres	Scored against Romania

Poland
Position	Player	Key Detail
Goalkeeper	Marcin Bułka	Listed in the current match squad
Defender	Jakub Kiwior	Experienced central defensive option
Midfielder	Piotr Zieliński	Experienced midfield creator
Forward	Robert Lewandowski	Poland’s established central attacking reference

📰 The Conversation Before Kickoff

• Sweden opened Group B4 with a 2-1 home victory over Romania.
• Poland began the campaign with a 0-0 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Sweden defeated Poland 3-2 in the March 2026 World Cup play-off final in Solna.
• Alexander Isak, Hjalmar Ekdal and Emil Holm are unavailable after leaving the Swedish camp with injuries.
• Poland entered the camp without Adrian Benedyczak, Kamil Grabara and Filip Rózga because of injuries.
• Graham Potter has emphasized the importance of improving Sweden’s collective defensive structure.
• Besfort Zeneli has been declared available after recovering from a foot problem.
• Both teams are scheduled to meet again in Poland later in the Nations League group phase.

⚽ Match Details

• Competition: UEFA Nations League 2026/27 — League B, Group B4
• Fixture: Sweden vs Poland
• Date: Monday, 28 September 2026
• Venue: Strawberry Arena, Solna
• Kickoff: 20:45 local time
• Sweden coach: Graham Potter
• Poland coach: Jan Urban
• Matchday 1: Sweden 2-1 Romania; Poland 0-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Variation rule: This preview begins with the recent competitive rivalry and the tactical problem created by Sweden’s attacking absences, then moves into defensive structure, injuries, and finally the pre-match press discussion instead of following the usual venue-to-form-to-injuries sequence.

⚽Full Match
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