Sweden vs Australia Prediction: Sweden are the superior team

With the 2023 World Cup already done and won by the English team, the 3rd spot remains undecided. Two teams will be going head to head for the third place of the tournament and it's Sweden taking on Australia in a single leg match.

Both teams have been fantastic throughout the course of the tournament and they can both look back at their journey with pride and contentment. However, ending with a 3rd place prize would be the best way to bow out of the tournament, so we expect both teams to come into this game with their guns blazing. 

Sweden were one of the standout teams throughout the tournament, winning 5 out of 6 matches played throughout the competition. They qualified top of their group after picking up 3 straight wins against South Africa (2-1), Italy, (5-0) and Argentina (2-0). And then in the knockout stages, they defeated USA on penalties after playing a goalless draw at full time. Then they went on to knock out Japan after winning 2-1 in full time. But things went south for the Swedish team in their match against Spain, as they lost 2-1 at full time. 

Across the competition, Sweden scored 12 goals and conceded 4 goals. They scored an average of 2.0 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 16%. They played an average of 12.2 shots per game, with 4.3 hitting their target. And they played an average of 5.5 corners per game and had 50.7 % on the ball. They conceded an average of 0.7 goals per game and kept 3 clean sheets.

The star player for the Swedish side was Amanda Ilestdedt, who played the defensive role for the team. She managed to score a total of 4 goals, which was the highest in the team, despite playing as a defender. She was also brilliant defensively, as she managed an average of 1.2 interceptions per game and an average of 1.5 tackles per game. There will be lots of expectations on the 30-year old Arsenal player to see her team through to a victory in this game.

Streaks: more than 2.5 goals (5/7), less than 4.5 cards (10/10), less than 10.5 corners (5/5).

Australia have also proven themselves to be worthy opponents for the 3rd place crown with their brilliant display in the tournament. Their record was far from perfect as they had to fight for the knockout qualification in the final group game. In their time in the tournament, they had 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats. They got an opening day win over Ireland (1-0), and in the second game, they lost 3-2 to Nigeria. But they recovered swiftly with a 4-0 win over Canada to book their place in the knockout stage. Their first knockout game ended in a 2-0 win over Denmark and then they knocked off France on penalties after playing a draw at full time. After that, they lost 3-1 to England to end their participation in the tournament. Across the competition, they scored 10 goals and conceded 6 goals in all 6 matches. They scored an average of 1.7 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 11%. They played an average of 14.7 shots per game, with 4.5 hitting their target. And they played an average of 7.2 corners per game and had 50.3 % on the ball. They conceded an average of 1.0 goals per game and kept 4 clean sheets.

Real Madrid forward Hayley Raso scored 3 goals for the Australia team. She scored an average of 0.5 goals per game, while recording an average of 1.3 shots per game and 0.8 shots on target per game. The fate of the Australian team will rest on her shoulders as she tries to guide her team to victory.

Streaks: less than 4.5 cards (10/10)

Sweden has faced Australia 7 times in the past. And record shows Sweden have won 4 times, while Australia have won just once and on 2 occasions they both played a draw. 

• Less than 4.5 cards (7/7).

Both teams are eager to end the tournament with some form of consolation, so we can expect both sides to put in their best to win this game. 

Sweden has a good record against Australia and they are by far the more superior team. The Swedish side are formidable to break down and they handle pressure quite well on the big stage. For the Australians, they can only hope that Sweden are not in their best form or else they would struggle to contain them. But I expect Sweden to turn up big and win this game.

• Sweden to seal 3rd place at 1.785 Odds
• Home Win or Draw and Over 1.5 Goals at 1.79 Odds
• Sweden to win in 90 minutes at 2.55 Odds