England v Sweden - the key battles

England launch their World Cup finals campaign in Saitama on Sunday with a tough opening clash with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s home nation Sweden.

Group F is without doubt the toughest of the first-round groups, and Eriksson’s side know they must get off to a good start to prepare themselves for the tests represented by Argentina and Nigeria in the battle for qualification for the knock-out stages.

England have not beaten the Swedes since 1968 and know they will have their work cut out to do so in Japan. The following contests will be key to their chances of reversing that trend.

DANNY MILLS v FREDDIE LJUNGBERG

Mills seems to have sneaked ahead of Wes Brown in the pecking order to fill the right-back berth vacated through injury by certain starter Gary Neville.

The Leeds defender will have his work cut out as he tries to keep Arsenal’s livewire winger quiet, and will have to pay particular attention to his movement off the ball as he attempts to get beyond the England back four and in on club-mate David Seaman. Mills insists he has matured as a player and is in control of his temper -Sunday may well demonstrate the validity of that claim.

RIO FERDINAND v HENRIK LARSSON

Perhaps England’s most talented defender will go head to head with Scotland’s most destructive finisher, and the extent to which one dominates the other could have a major bearing on the outcome of this game.

Ferdinand has honed his defensive skills at Leeds and has largely cut out the momentary lapses in concentration which have at times blighted his international career.

However, Celtic hitman Larsson needs no second invitation to set his sights on goal, and his quickness of thought as well as deadliness in front of goal either on the floor or in the air will mean the former West Ham stopper will have to be on his toes throughout if England are to triumph.

MICHAEL OWEN v PATRIK ANDERSSON

Owen proved at France 98 that he has what it takes to perform at the World Cup finals, and four years on, he is a more rounded player.

But Barcelona defender Andersson, having lost out in the semi-finals with Sweden in 1994, knows all about the pressure of the finals tournament and will need no introduction to a player who perhaps poses the biggest threat to Sweden.

Pace is Owen’s biggest weapon, but his finishing, when on song as it was on that famous night in Munich, is good enough to sound the alarm bells for any defence.

DAVID BECKHAM v MAGNUS HEDMAN

England as a nation has been gripped for the last two months by the saga of Beckham’s foot.

Question marks still remain over the England skipper’s fitness, but every Englishman will hope and pray that the most famous metatarsal in the world game holds out over the next few weeks.

If it does, then Coventry goalkeeper Hedman knows that his goal is not safe from anywhere within 35 yards, and his ability to deny Beckham from set-pieces, as Greece will testify, could prove crucial.