Qarabag and Malmö will face off for their first points in the second round of the UEFA Europa League.
According to an article on the Russian website soccer365.ru, the dynamics of the match reveal an intriguing balance of forces, Idman.biz reports.
The article emphasizes that Qarabag should aim to secure at least a point in this home game, as Malmö presents a challenging opponent for head coach Gurban Gurbanov’s team. Historically, Qarabag has performed well against Scandinavian clubs, and the fans are expecting nothing less than a victory at the Tofig Bahramov Stadium.
The author highlights some concerns for the hosts. Matheus Silva was substituted in the second half during the match against Sabah due to injury, and it has been confirmed that his injury is serious enough to rule him out for the Europa League clash. Gurbanov is also grappling with defensive issues, as Marko Vesovic, who plays on the right side of the defense, is injured and unavailable for the match against Malmö.
Qarabag has also struggled to find the back of the net in recent European competitions. Their normally potent attack has faltered, with the last time they scored being on August 13, when they netted seven goals against Ludogorets. Since then, they have failed to score in three consecutive matches, including two games against Dinamo Zagreb and one against Tottenham. Despite creating chances, the forwards have been unable to convert them into goals.
Malmö's performance has been notably strong in their domestic league but weak in European competitions. They lost to Rangers in the first round and currently sit on zero points in the Europa League, just like Qarabag. In the Allsvenskan, Malmö leads the standings confidently, holding a ten-point advantage over their nearest rival after 25 rounds. They secured another victory last weekend in the league.
However, the Swedes have struggled in recent European matches, losing three in a row and winning only once in their last six encounters.
The article also discusses Malmö’s potential game plan. In their last two European matches, coach Henrik Rydström opted for a 3-4-3 formation, which did not yield positive results. The defense was not solid, and they failed to create chances against Sparta and Rangers. For the upcoming match against Qarabag, Rydström may revert to a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 setup to enhance defensive reliability. However, they are facing their own challenges, as they will be without two key left wingers, Hakšabanović and Holmqvist, who are sidelined for the rest of the season.
While Malmö leads the Allsvenskan in scoring with 59 goals in 25 matches, their attack has been lackluster in recent European games, failing to score in three consecutive matches. In the domestic league, they struggled to find the net in matches against AIK and GAIS as well. Conversely, Malmö’s defense has generally been solid, managing to keep a clean sheet in their last five league matches, although they have yet to achieve this in the current European campaign.
Based on the analysis, the author concludes that Qarabag will likely emerge victorious in this matchup. Qarabag are confident at home and have a strong record against Scandinavian teams. While Gurbanov is concerned about personnel losses on the right wing of the defense, Malmö faces similar challenges with injuries on their left flank.
Despite the pressure following recent disappointing performances, this could serve as motivation for Qarabag to break their goal drought.
Match Prediction: Qarabag 2 – 0 Malmö
Idman.biz
