Sweden vs Austria

Sweden and Austria will face off in a crucial World Cup qualifying match on Friday.

The Swedes could achieve a major feat on Friday with a victory. The win would not only eliminate Austria and the Republic of Ireland from contention, but would lock a second-place spot in the Group for Austria. The win would also take off the heat heading into the final game against Germany.

A victory on Friday also leaves the door open for Sweden to steal first place away from Germany when the two sides meet on Tuesday. Of course this scenario plays out if Germany manages to lose against Ireland at home and fails to book a spot in the World Cup Finals next summer. While the Germans have only lost two points thus far, the Irish are desperate for a playoff spot and could manage the upset.

Austria must win this game and its final one against the Faroe Islands to have any hopes of finishing second. It is a feasible outcome as they managed a 2-1 win at home against Sweden in a previous meeting last June. Furthermore, Sweden takes on Germany in its final game while Austria gets a date with the Faroe Islands, a team that has yet to register a single point in the qualifiers.

A draw would also benefit Austria as it would still need a win and Swedish loss on Tuesday to finish second in the group.