The ten group winners and the ten group runners-up go directly to the EC and Germany is directly qualified as the host nation.

Three places remain which can be narrowed down via a playoff qualification in March 2023. But there, Sweden's chances are minimal after the placement in the Nations League.

- That lifeline has become really thin, so it is important to be first or second in the group for Sweden, says SVT's expert Daniel Nannskog.

- This means that we only have an estimated 20 percent chance of playing in the EC if we are extremely unlucky and are drawn into my nightmare group.

However, if luck is on our side and we get a dream group with Hungary and Finland, I think Sweden has a 70 percent chance of being in the playoffs in 2024.

The dream group

HUNGARY


FINLAND


SWEDEN


LUXEMBOURG


GIBRALTAR

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Nannskog's dream opposition in the EC qualifiers

"In pot 1, I would like Sweden to face

Hungary.

It is a slightly naive team playing from their own backline, which I think Sweden could use in a perfect way with high pressure, to be able to pinch the ball and punish Hungary.

But it is a very good team, they came ahead of both Germany and England in the Nations League.

In the back line, the very experienced Willi Orban (Leipzig) rules.

In the middle it is important to stop Leipzig's Szoboszlai and at the top there is size, power and routine in Adam Szalai".

"From pot 2, I would like to see Sweden meet

Finland

.

I think Sweden is better than Finland in all positions.

Sure, they have Teemu Pukki (Norwich City FC) up front and that's a player to watch out for.

In addition, there are a number of players we are familiar with from the Allsvenskan such as Schuller, Uronen, Lingman and Väisenen.

"From pot 4 I choose

Luxembourg.

They came second in the Nations League's C group behind Turkey but ahead of the Faroe Islands, who I would rather see Sweden avoid as their coach Håkan Ericsson has an iron grip on Sweden.

Former Norrköping player Lars Krogh Gerson and current AIK player Vincent Thill play in Luxembourg.

The main one to watch out for is the skilled Barreiro Martins, Mainz's central playmaker.

At the top, it's about keeping an eye on Gerson Rodrigues, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, a quick, technical goalscorer”.

"In pot 5 I pick

Gibraltar

.

They came last in Nations League Group C. A team where pretty much the entire squad plays in the Gibraltar League.

That is enough.”

The Nightmare Group

PORTUGAL


FRANCE


SWEDEN


TURKEY


SLOVAKIA

"From pot 1,

Portugal should be avoided.

It is an incredibly strong team that came second in their nation's League group behind Spain.

Sweden faced Portugal in two games in 2020 in Nations Laegue and lost both, away 3-0 and at home 0-2.

Sweden had no chance!

Portugal masters both the game against low-lying defenses and the transition game.

Players like Ruben Dias (Man City) Joao Cancelo (Man City) balance the midfield.

Then there are stars like Bernardo Silva (Man City), Bruno Fernandes (Man United), Rafael Leao (Milan), Ronaldo (Man United) and Diogo Jota (Liverpool).”

"You don't want

France in pot 2.

Admittedly, they have fared surprisingly poorly in the Nations League.

Last lost 2-0 against Denmark and was only third behind Croatia and Denmark.

But of course France is an extremely good team.

Speed, technique and physics in the top world elite.

In the back line Raphaël Varane rules with speed and head strength, Jules Koundé with smartness.

Up front it's a lot about Kylian Mbappe with his speed and goalscoring and then you have Benzema, Griezmann and Giroud.

"

"From pot 4 I pick

Turkey

.

They won their group in Group C of the Nations League.

They have a stable keeper in Altay Bayindir (Fenerbahce) and two incredibly aggressive and stable centre-backs in Merih Demiral (Atalanta) and Çağlar Söyüncü (Leicester).

Hakan Çalhanoğlu controls the midfield.

Player to watch out for at the top is Trabzonspor's Umut Bozok.

In general, it is tough to face Turkey away from home with fanatical fans”.

" Slovakia

is in pot 5 .

It is a team that Sweden knows well after having the team in their European Championship play-off group.

A compact and defense-oriented team where Inter's centre-back star Milan Skrinjar controls the backline.

Former Blåvitt player and midfield general Marik Hamsik has retired from the national team.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka out with heart problems.

Fulham's Rodak has taken over as first keeper.

Napoli's Lobotka rules the midfield.

It took a long time for Sweden to get a break on Slovakia in the EC, a late goal by Forsberg decided (1-0).

"