Will it be a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired Sweden victory, or will an all-round Republic of Ireland find a way to solve the Swedish puzzle and start Euro 2016 with a victory they so crave? That is the question as Group D kicks off with a should-be-exciting clash at the State de France on Monday.
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This is a match that both Republic of Ireland and Sweden will feel they must win if they are to harbour hopes of qualifying for the last 16. With Belgium and Italy to come, neither team will want to give away even a point on Monday, which could in turn have a positive impact on the game. Because that means both sides will go for the three points, making it a possibly open game, especially if we get an early goal.
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The spotlight for this Euro 2016 clash will be, of course, on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden's talisman. How far Sweden go will depend on Ibrahimovic and his form in the final third, with Erik Hamren aware of the importance that the striker brings, be that as a goalscorer or creator.
"The important thing is to win the games and I hope we'll do that," Hamren was quoted as saying by UEFA's official website. "Who scores the goals is not as important -- if Zlatan can provide for others I'll be just as happy as if Zlatan scores the goals himself."
Trying to stop Ibrahimovic will be Ireland's rearguard, led by the experienced John O'Shea. However, defence alone will not win you games, and that is where the likes of Shane Long and Jonathan Walters come in. Ireland have a pretty solid midfield in James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan, but the creative forces of Walters, Long and Wes Hoolahan need to shine for Ireland to prosper in Euro 2016.
The Irish had a European Championships to forget four years ago, when they lost every single one of their group stage matches. So, a bit of redemption will also be on their minds when they take the field in Saint Denis.
"It's getting exciting," Republic of Ireland coach Martin O'Neill said. "The competition has already started. There have been some very good games and I think we just can't wait to get started.
"We have some very talented individuals who can hopefully change the course of a game. If you're stubborn and you're hard to break down, if you've got that little bit of talent where you can conjure something up from virtually nothing, it gives you a better chance. We've got some very, very fine players who I think are ready to do well in the competition."
It's Ibrahimovic's magic vs Ireland's collective creative powers – will be interesting to see who will come out on top.
Where to Watch Live
Republic of Ireland vs Sweden is scheduled for a 9.30 p.m. IST (6 p.m. CET, 5 p.m. BST, 12 p.m. ET). Below is all the live streaming and TV information.
India: TV: Sony Six/HD and Sone ESPN/HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
UK and Ireland: TV: BBC One. Live Streaming: BBCiPlayer. Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live.
Sweden: TV: SVT 2.
France: TV: Bein Sports 1 and 2. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Slovakia: TV: HRT and STV.
USA: TV: ESPN 2 and ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Canada: TV: TSN and RDS. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Australia: TV: Bein Sports and SBS One. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Germany: TV: ZDF and ORF.
China and Hong Kong: TV: CCTV and LeTV.
Thailand: TV: Channel 3.
Singapore: TV: Eleven Singapore and Singtel. Live Streaming: Singtel Go.
Malaysia: TV: Astro.
Latin America: TV: DirecTV.
Middle East and North Africa: TV: Bein Sports Max. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport 3. Live Streaming: SuperSport
