Group F · Matchday 1
SwedenvsTunisia
2026-06-14·20:00 localPredictions finalised
The forecast
Match-outcome probability
- Sweden win42.4%
- Draw28.1%
- Tunisia win29.5%
A clash of identities: Sweden's transition-heavy approach meets Tunisia's pragmatic style in a fixture the model gives to Sweden at 52%.
Why the model says this
Favoring Sweden
- ·Sweden holds an 83-point Elo rating advantage over Tunisia, indicating a stronger overall team strength.
- ·The model predicts Sweden to generate 1.32 expected goals (xG) compared to Tunisia's 0.93 xG, suggesting a higher offensive output.
- ·Sweden has won 2 of the 4 historical head-to-head encounters against Tunisia, with Tunisia winning 1 and 1 draw.
- ·Sweden's recent form shows an improvement, with two wins and a draw in their last three matches, scoring 7 goals and conceding 4.
Favoring Tunisia
- ·Tunisia's recent form includes only one loss in their last six matches (2 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss), demonstrating resilience.
- ·Tunisia exhibits an extremely high reliance on set-pieces, with 26.3% of their expected goals (xG) coming from these situations, placing them in the 98.7th percentile.
- ·Tunisia has secured a win against Sweden in their head-to-head history, a 1-0 victory in 2003.
What the model can't fully price
- ·The model does not currently adjust for squad availability, with one projected starter across both teams carrying a fitness doubt.
- ·The historical head-to-head data, with the most recent match in 2003, may not fully reflect current team strengths or dynamics.
Form check
Sweden
ImprovingSweden's recent form has seen an upturn after a difficult period. Following three consecutive losses, they have since secured two wins and a draw in their last three FIFA World Cup qualification matches, indicating a recovery in performance.
Scored 7 goals in their last 3 matches.
Tunisia
SteadyTunisia's form has been steady, with only one loss in their last six fixtures across various competitions. They have shown defensive solidity, keeping two clean sheets in their last two matches, alongside two wins and three draws.
Conceded 0 goals in their last 2 matches.
Analysis
How it plays out
Tunisia's pragmatic setup will need to hold shape against Sweden's direct transition game. The risk for Tunisia: getting caught between attacking and defending. Tunisia's aggressive press (PPDA 22.5) against Sweden's deeper build-up (PPDA 31.2) creates a clear territory question: can Tunisia force errors high up, or will Sweden play through the press and find space behind it?
What decides it
Sweden will concede possession willingly and attack in transition. Their defensive block needs to hold without fouling in dangerous areas. Tunisia adjust shape to the opponent. That flexibility is an asset, but it takes longer to settle into a game. The scoring threat is evenly split: Emil Forsberg (4.5%) and Dylan Bronn (5.3%).
Off the pitch
No major off-pitch asymmetries. This one is decided by the football.
The angle
A Group F fixture where the result matters more for the standings than the headlines.
▸Goals & scorelines
Likeliest score 1–1 (13.7%) · xG 1.3 - 0.9
Expected goals
Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.
Most likely scorelines
- 1–113.7%
- 1–013.1%
- 0–011.3%
- 2–09.2%
- 0–19.0%
From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.
Most likely half-time scorelines
- 0–033.0%
- 1–020.8%
- 0–114.5%
- 1–110.6%
- 2–07.1%
Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.
Goal totals
- More than 0.5 goals88.7%
- More than 1.5 goals66.6%
- More than 2.5 goals39.2%
- More than 3.5 goals19.1%
- More than 4.5 goals7.8%
- More than 5.5 goals2.8%
- Both teams score45.3%
Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.
Event-typed probabilities
- Sweden clean sheetOpposing team scores zero39.4%
- Tunisia clean sheetOpposing team scores zero26.7%
Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.
Win-margin probability
- Sweden by 4+2.3%
- Sweden by 3+7.7%
- Sweden by 2+21.3%
- Sweden by 1+44.8%
- Draw29.6%
- Tunisia by 1+25.6%
- Tunisia by 2+9.2%
- Tunisia by 3+2.4%
- Tunisia by 4+0.5%
Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.
▸How the match unfolds
Over 2.5 goals 39.2% · BTTS 45.3%
Game state through the match
- Sweden ahead45.6%
- Level28.0%
- Tunisia ahead26.4%
Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.
When the first goal arrives
- 0–1531.3%
- 15–3021.5%
- 30–4514.8%
- 45–6010.2%
- 60–757.0%
- 75–904.8%
- No goal10.5%
Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.
Half-time / full-time grid
| HT ↓ / FT → | HSweden win | DDraw | ATunisia win |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSweden ahead | 28.4% | 4.6% | 1.2% |
| DLevel | 15.4% | 19.2% | 9.8% |
| ATunisia ahead | 1.7% | 4.5% | 15.2% |
Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.
Comeback probability
- Sweden trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT6.3%
- Tunisia trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT5.7%
Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.
Cards
- Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
- Total yellows over 2.567.0%
- Total yellows over 3.545.3%
- Total yellows over 4.526.5%
- Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%
Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.
▸Teams & players
Top scorer: Jaziri (6.2%)
Match detail
Sweden
Model-rated key players: Emil Forsberg (MF) — P(scores) 4.5%; Viktor Gyökeres (FW) — P(scores) 3.5%; Alexander Isak (FW) — P(scores) 3.0%.
Sweden under Graham Potter play a transition heavy game, with just 36% possession — among the lowest in the field. They sit deeper and pick their moments to press (PPDA 31.2) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.2 passes per attack. They are selective in their shooting (10.0 per 90) and rely heavily on set pieces (19% of their xG).
Sweden rely on defensive discipline and quick transitions — absorbing pressure and converting turnovers into attacking chances. Concentration and defensive organisation for full 90-minute stretches will determine whether the approach holds against top opposition.
Tunisia
Model-rated key players: Dylan Bronn (DF) — P(scores) 5.3%; Seifeddine Jaziri (FW) — P(scores) 6.2%; Elias Achouri (FW) — P(scores) 4.8%.
Tunisia under Sabri Lamouchi play a pragmatic game with 49% possession. Their likely shape is a other. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 22.5). They are selective in their shooting (9.8 per 90) and rely heavily on set pieces (26% of their xG).
Tunisia play a pragmatic, results-oriented game that adapts shape to the opposition. Tactical flexibility is their strength. The risk is inconsistency — without a default identity, a poor result can cascade if the team struggles to find a Plan B. With Sabri Lamouchi appointed relatively recently (161 days before kickoff), building tactical cohesion in limited preparation time is the immediate challenge.
Sweden historically converts 19.3% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.26 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Tunisia converts 26.3% from set-pieces (0.25 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.50 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.
- P(Sweden scores set-piece goal) 22.5%
- P(Tunisia scores set-piece goal) 21.8%
- P(set-piece goal in match) 39.4%
Sweden: Niclas Eliasson on corners (56 corners) (per fbref 2020 21) · Tunisia: Naïm Sliti on corners (95 corners) (per fbref 2018 19)
If a penalty is awarded to Sweden, the model gives 74.3% conversion, 71.4% for Tunisia.
Sweden primary PK: Emil Forsberg (4/4 in 2021-22, per fbref 2020 21) · Tunisia primary PK: Dylan Bronn (1/2 in 2020-21, per fbref 2018 19).
Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.
Tactical forecast
- PPDA
- 31.2
- Possession
- 36%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 9.2
- Long balls/90
- 41
- Set-piece xG
- 19%
- PPDA
- 22.5
- Possession
- 49%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 6.7
- Long balls/90
- 40
- Set-piece xG
- 26%
Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.
Squad depth
Most irreplaceable starters
Sweden
- Lucas BergvallCentral midfieldCover: Besfort Zeneli · 0.460.37gap
- Alexander IsakStrikerCover: Gustaf Nilsson · 0.620.33gap
- Yasin AyariCentral midfieldCover: Besfort Zeneli · 0.460.23gap
Tunisia
- Montassar TalbiCentre-backCover: Adem Arous · 0.060.62gap
- Dylan BronnCentre-backCover: Adem Arous · 0.060.53gap
- Hannibal MejbriAttacking midfieldNo natural backup0.37gap
Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →
Match conditions
- AltitudeNear sea level521 m
- Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window27.7 °C
- Avg humidity65%
- Heat stressShade WBGT ~29.1 °CModerate heat stress
- Pitch surfacenatural grass
Natural-grass football stadium; the pitch was refreshed ahead of the tournament.
Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.
Top scorers · P(scores in this match)
- Emil ForsbergPKMF4.5%
- Viktor GyökeresFW3.5%
- Alexander IsakFW3.0%
- Dylan BronnPKDF5.3%
- Seifeddine JaziriFW6.2%
- Elias AchouriFW4.8%
Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.
Recent match form
Last match player ratings
Sweden
vs France · avg 6.0
Tunisia
vs Netherlands · avg 7.5
Worked well: Their offensive movement and finishing were highly effective, resulting in four well-taken goals. They maintained strong pressure and created many chances.
Struggled: While dominant, there were moments where they could have been more decisive in the box, as seen with Nakamura's hesitation and Dahmen's saves.
Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →
Video analysis: player performance
Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.
9Yasin Ayari6'–95'Scored two crucial goals, including the opener and a powerful late strike, demonstrating excellent finishing.
2goals▼
Scored two crucial goals, including the opener and a powerful late strike, demonstrating excellent finishing.
Match timeline
9Viktor Gyökeres29'–89'Scored two goals and provided an assist, showcasing clinical finishing and playmaking ability.
2goals1shots▼
Scored two goals and provided an assist, showcasing clinical finishing and playmaking ability.
Match timeline
9Mattias Svanberg83'–85'Scored two goals shortly after coming on as a substitute, demonstrating immediate impact and clinical finishing.
2goals▼
Scored two goals shortly after coming on as a substitute, demonstrating immediate impact and clinical finishing.
Match timeline
8Alexander Isak29'–58'Scored a goal and was instrumental in creating another by winning possession high up the pitch.
1goals▼
Scored a goal and was instrumental in creating another by winning possession high up the pitch.
Match timeline
7Kristoffer NordfeldtMade several important saves, preventing Tunisia from scoring more goals.
1saves▼
Made several important saves, preventing Tunisia from scoring more goals.
Match timeline
6Elliot Stroud64'–64'Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
Match timeline
6Gabriel Gudmundsson64'–64'Played a significant portion of the match without any distinct positive or negative contributions.
▼
Played a significant portion of the match without any distinct positive or negative contributions.
Match timeline
6Jesper Karlström83'–83'Played a significant portion of the match without any distinct positive or negative contributions.
▼
Played a significant portion of the match without any distinct positive or negative contributions.
Match timeline
6Daniel Svensson89'–89'Came on as a late substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
▼
Came on as a late substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
Match timeline
8Omar Rekik12'–42'Scored both of Tunisia's goals with headers from set-pieces, showing good aerial ability.
2goals▼
Scored both of Tunisia's goals with headers from set-pieces, showing good aerial ability.
Match timeline
7Hannibal Mejbri12'–12'Provided a dangerous cross that directly led to one of Tunisia's goals.
▼
Provided a dangerous cross that directly led to one of Tunisia's goals.
Match timeline
6Sebastian Tounekti71'–71'Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the game.
Match timeline
4Rani Khedira40'–40'Received a yellow card for a late challenge, indicating a disciplinary issue.
1 yellow▼
Received a yellow card for a late challenge, indicating a disciplinary issue.
Match timeline
4Ellyes Skhiri59'–71'Lost possession in a dangerous area, directly leading to a goal for the opposition.
▼
Lost possession in a dangerous area, directly leading to a goal for the opposition.
Match timeline
3Mouhib Chamakh29'–29'Made a costly error that directly led to one of Sweden's goals.
▼
Made a costly error that directly led to one of Sweden's goals.
Match timeline
Match observations
- The match saw Sweden secure a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia.
- Sweden's offensive unit displayed impressive coordination, with multiple forwards finding the net.
- Tunisia managed to reduce the deficit with a header, but defensive lapses allowed Sweden to consistently extend their advantage.
▸Under the hood
Model-by-model comparison
Sweden vs Tunisia
| Model | Weight | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EloRating-based strength estimate | 32% | 55.9% | 22.0% | 22.1% |
| Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction | 63% | 45.2% | 29.2% | 25.6% |
| Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling | 6% | 46.1% | 28.5% | 25.4% |
| Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination | — | 50.9% | 27.7% | 21.4% |
| Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration | — | 51.6% | 26.5% | 21.9% |
How each model works
- Elo
- Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
- Dixon-Coles
- A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
- Hierarchical Poisson
- A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
- Bayesian stacking
- Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
- Ensemble (published)
- Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.
Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology
Probability decomposition (transparency surface)
- Baseline ensemble — P(Sweden win)42.4%
- + Lineup contribution0.0pp
- + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
- Published P(Sweden win)42.4%
Decomposition of the published P(Sweden win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.
For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.
Head-to-head history
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Result | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup | NGuadalupe | 5–1 | W | — |
| 12 Feb 2003 | Friendly | ARadès | 0–1 | L | — |
| 10 Feb 1999 | Friendly | ATunis | 1–0 | W | — |
| 22 Apr 1992 | Friendly | ATunis | 1–0 | W | — |
| 28 Feb 1976 | Friendly | ATunis | 1–1 | D | — |
Sweden vs Tunisia, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Sweden's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).
Latest news & match context
No recent headlines for Sweden or Tunisia.
- Stage:
- Group F · Matchday 1
- Date:
- 14 Jun
Sweden and Tunisia both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.
Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.
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