The winner of Group C will meet the runner-up of Group D. Holland is the winner of Group C and they will be looking at the Russia-Sweden match with interest.
What is at stake in Innsbruck. For Russia, they need a win to advance while for Sweden, a draw is enough. And what is interesting is that Russia is managed by a Dutchman in the form of Guus Hiddink. But then he is also the first-ever foreign coach Russia has. Facing his compatriots who are at the form of their lives now? The match against the Swedes will decide the outcome.
I'm personally amused at AFP's preview of the match - Swedes enter a match of Russian roulette. Russian roulette...aha. For Guus Hiddink, the case of injury concerns are mounting in the squad. Andrei Arshavin is back from his suspension (he has always been influential in the squad). It's definitely a boost for the squad. Will the Zenit St. Petersburg man (he had a hand in the club's UEFA Cup triumph over Rangers) start is another question.
For Sweden, when it looked like they had won it...Spain took it away at the last minute and won instead in the end in their second group match. Will they be able to regroup themselves in time for the match? Sweden coach Lars Largerback had said that his hugely experienced side should prove to have a huge advantage over their younger Russian opponents.
Regarding whether star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play in the match, the coach is not saying anything. But what Largerback can reveal is that Ibrahimovic has matured both as a player and as a person.
Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko revealed that some harsh words were spoken by Guus Hiddink before the win against Greece which brought Russia's Group D campaign to life. Will they be able to do something this time?
