Kalmar v AIK

Facing Kalmar at their home ground is unquestionably one of the toughest tasks in the league – they’ve conceded four at Guldfågeln Arena in seven matches and only two teams have walked away with a one goal victory this season.

The home side’s form overall has been inconsistent of late, only notching one win in the last five, although the two losses suffered have come away from home. Remain solid defensively though, having only conceded more than once in one of the last eight matches, last week against Degerfors (2-1). Henrik Rydström’s side remain one of the most possession-heavy teams in the division, making it difficult for their opponents to get a foothold in the game. 

AIK are attempting to challenge at the top of the table and can still consider themselves a contender, sitting only two points behind leaders Djurgården. In order to sustain a credible title bid, though, they’ll need to improve their overall play. The attacking rotations and automatisms are missing, with injuries and new signings slotting in disrupting the rhythm. Meanwhile, the team’s defensive record isn’t anywhere near as good as manager Bartosz Grzelak would like – only two clean sheets have been kept in the last eleven matches. They don’t score too many either, the 3-2 win in the last league match against Värnamo two weeks ago was out of the norm. Two of the goals were gifted by former AIK defender Robin Tihi – they can’t expect any such generosity from the Kalmar players. 

They again failed to impress in midweek against Macedonian side Shkendija in the UECL qualifier, looking impotent in attack. Their formation and style of play simply doesn’t allow them to be particularly free-flowing. 

Only one match this season with over 2.5 goals at home for Kalmar, with a somewhat stale AIK attack visiting that trend should continue.

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Värnamo v Djurgården

IFK Värnamo come into this game off the back of a shock victory away at title contenders Hammarby, sustaining plenty of pressure and countering effectively late on to win 2-1. A team always willing to take risks in build-up, their passing game is a joy to behold when it works. A bit too often this season though, the limited quality in their squad has shown, especially in defence, leading to too many goals conceded. Having struggled especially against bigger teams, last week’s win was a bit of an anomaly. Prior to that they’d conceded 12 goals in 4 matches, with one of those being a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of this week’s visitors Djurgården. Are certainly more comfortable at home at Finnvedsvallen but have lost here to AIK and Häcken in the last few matches.

With six wins in a row in Allsvenskan (nine in all competitions), Djurgården are looking like the team to beat, charging towards a second league title in four years. With rivals stumbling recently – both Häcken and Hammarby dropped points last week while Malmö are in disarray and AIK playing poorly – it looks like nothing except nerves can stop their title bid. There is still a long way to go and much could change, but Djurgården certainly have to be considered favourites at this point. A close to complete squad with injuries being kept to a minimum, there is real harmony at the club. Got a rest last week after a hectic schedule with European games every midweek and should be ready to add another win to their account here.

They impressed again in the UECL qualifying in midweek, beating Romanian side Sepsi 3-1, without expending too much energy. With plenty of depth in the squad, they can rotate in a couple of positions without weakening the team. Should be bigger favourites here.

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Mjällby v Elfsborg

The hosts have become a solid mid-table competitor since gaining promotion ahead of the 2020 Allsvenskan season, finishing 5^th and 9^th in the two ensuing seasons. This year has been no worse; they’re currently positioned in 7^th and are one of the hardest teams to beat, especially at home. Clever recruitment combined with a robust and effective style of play, they often manage to grab at least a goal while not conceding many. 18-year old Nigerian wonderkid Silas Nwankwo has exploded recently, scoring four in the last seven matches (half of the team’s total) and there are a few other talents who have also excelled. Despite not conceding many, they don’t keep clean sheets often – in five of their last seven league matches, both teams have scored.

Elfsborg’s season has been below expectations, currently 9^th in Allsvenskan with no wins in the last seven matches in all competitions. We saw some improvements last game, though, as they went toe to toe with title challengers BK Häcken in a 4-4 thriller. Per Frick’s absence was expected to be felt, however Sveinn Aron Gudjohnsen deputised admirably by putting in his best performance of the season, notching a goal while adding a delicious assist. 

Have become more open defensively while being less potent in attack recently, but last week could signify a bit of a turning point if they manage to tighten up a bit at the back. Will look to get their season back on track here against a stubborn Mjällby side and will undoubtedly go for a win.

The visitors haven’t kept a clean sheet in 9 and that should continue here, with Mjällby potent enough in attack to exploit their frailties. Meanwhile, Elfsborg’s attack is more than capable of scoring a couple of goals, so both teams to score is expected to materialise.

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