AIK vs Norrkoping
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Sunday 10th April – 4:30PM KO
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from opening day defeats when they do battle here at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.
AIK were one of the pre-season favourites having come second on goal-difference last time out. They started the campaign with a disappointing 4-2 loss to Gothenburg side Häcken, finding themselves two down in the opening 14 minutes. The consequence of losing the title by not scoring enough goals seems to have impacted their style of play. Although the 4-4-2 was similar in terms of formation and personnel, the midfielders seemed pushed higher when looking at average position on a heat map.
The hosts were remarkably consistent at their own ground last season winning 13 of 15 games and drawing the other two. Their defence was key, shipping just eight goals to the 29 they netted.
Norrköping also had a poor opening day, going down 1-0 at home to Varberg. The Northern side will be looking to push on from seventh in the table where they finished last season.
Last weekend they trailed an unusual 3-2-2-2-1 formation that really sat the midfielders back and pushed the full-backs high. It allowed them to dominate possession but they did not manage to score. A lot depends on Christoffer Nyman finding the form that made him an 18 goal striker in 2020. The visitors were poor on the road to end the season losing each of their last four in the league and winning just one of seven. Only the bottom two teams lost more than their nine defeats.
13 of the last 15 AIK home matches have ended in victory. Bartosz Grezelak impressed last season with his tactics and he will be sure to make the necessary adjustments here. Aleksandar Milosevic is a key player at the back and he missed the bulk of pre-season with an injury so he will likely come on for match fitness.
The best bet here is a home victory against a Norrköping side who have lost four straight on the road in the league and do not possess anywhere near the firepower the hosts do.
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Prediction: AIK to Win, 1.80 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Malmo v Elfsborg
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Monday 11th April – 6:10PM KO
The defending champions and favourites to claim the trophy this year Malmo are in action on Monday evening (6:10pm) when they host Elfsborg at the Elena Stadion.
Malmo started their campaign with a simple 1-0 success away to Kalmar thanks to an Isaac Kiese Thelin goal. It was a solid start as they look to claim back-to-back championships and continue their era of dominance in Allsvenskan. Milos Milojevic is the new man in charge of the club having taken over in the summer from Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Serb opened with a 4-3-3 which was also the formation used when claiming victory in Swedish Cup matches.
At home, the Skåne outfit stuttered a bit to the end of the season claiming victory in just one of four to end the season. A feature of their home matches was both teams scoring which happened in five of their last eight.
Elfsborg started their 2022 campaign with a home loss going down two goals to nil against Mjällby. It was a disappointing start for a side who finished fourth last time out and were involved in the title race for much of it.
On the road, they were very strong with no side winning more than the nine they managed last season. They were an entertaining team also with 43 goals produced from 15 away games, almost an average of three per game. They are managed by Jimmy Thelin who took charge in 2018 and has done a remarkable job in his time there. Thelin favours a counter-attacking style and usually lines his team up in a 4-3-3.
Both sides were amongst the highest scorers in Allsvenskan last season and neutrals could be in for an entertaining game here. 43 goals came from the 15 road games involving Elfsborg last season. The meeting between these sides here also ended in over 2.5 goals so backing overs looks the best bet.
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Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals, 1.72 on Betfair (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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