A win must come
Actually, games in the European Cup are great festive days, especially for Union Berlin. The Eisernen haven’t played very many matches on the international terrain in their history. For the first time, the Berliners are playing in the group stage of the Europa League and if they are not careful, the European Cup season will be over as quickly as it was in last year’s Conference League.
While the Köpenickers prove their class week after week in the Bundesliga, they always look a little inhibited internationally. After two matchdays, Urs Fischer’s team is still without points in Group D of the Europa League. The Eisern share this fate with their upcoming opponents Malmö FF. The Swedish champions also have some catching up to do after two defeats from two games.
This means that both clubs are currently in the bottom two places in the standings. Royal Union Saint-Gilloise and Sporting Braga are already some way behind with six points each. Whoever wants to progress must win the basement duel on Thursday.
Tendentially, we think anything is possible. Both clubs have not always played attractively in recent weeks. Many goals have usually been in short supply. So if you are worried about betting on the outcome of the match, you could try betting on sub-par goals between Malmö and Union Berlin. We also think it is conceivable that not both teams will score at the Eleda Stadium.
Malmö – Statistics & current form
For Malmö FF a long season is coming to an end. There are only six matchdays left in the Allsvenskan, plus four games in the Europa League. All in all, Age Hareide’s team has fallen well short of its own expectations this season. They missed out on the Champions League and things are still not going well nationally either.
Nothing more in the Allsvenskan
The defence of the Swedish title is hardly realistic with Malmö in fourth place and seven points behind the top. Nationally, Malmö can already let the season come to an end, because with the cup victory they are at least qualified for the European Cup again. The current form leaves a lot of room for improvement. The Swedes have won just two of their last six competitive matches.
That doesn’t necessarily sound as if the odds on a home win in the duel between Malmö and Union Berlin are anything to go by. Such a victory was not achieved last weekend either. Hammarby IF were the guests in Malmö and with a home win Age Hareide’s team could have moved up to third place in the Allsvenskan. In the end, however, it was only enough for a goalless draw.
Malmö FF has some well-known players in its ranks. However, the Swedish internationals Isaac Kiese Thelin, Ola Toivonen and Oscar Lewicki are past their prime. With Niklas Moisander, another player from this squad is missing due to a cruciate ligament rupture. The reigning Swedish champions will also have to do without Mahame Siby and Adi Nalic.
Predicted line-up of Malmö:
Diawara – Knudsen, Hadzikadunic, Nielsen, Ceesay – Rieks, Lewicki – Berget, Zeidan, Sejdiu – Kiese Thelin – Coach: Hareide
Last matches played by Malmö:
Allsvenskan
01/10/2022 – Malmö FF 0 – 0 Hammarby
18/09/2022 – Helsingborg 1 – 2 Malmö FF
Europa League Grp. D
16/09/2022 – Royale Union Saint-Gilloise 3 – 2 Malmö FF
Allsvenskan
11/09/2022 – Malmö FF 2 – 1 IFK Norrköping
Europa League Grp. D
08/09/2022 – Malmö FF 0 – 2 Braga
Union Berlin – Statistics & current form
In essence, it’s still unbelievable and an absolute fairytale what’s going on around the Alte Försterei in Berlin. Union Berlin have steadily improved since their promotion to the top flight and have now been top of the Bundesliga for three weeks. Admittedly, this is only a snapshot, but it also shows that the Eisernen are actually in top form at the moment.
Alternating victory and defeat
The setbacks were mainly in the Europa League. So it also happens that the Köpenickers, long unbeaten at national level, are currently on a streak of alternating wins and defeats. If this streak continues, then a three-goal win should be the order of the day in Sweden on Thursday, and we can definitely imagine playing the odds on a visitors’ win between Malmö and Union Berlin.
This weekend saw the first defeat of the season in the Bundesliga and it was well deserved. Eintracht Frankfurt were superior to the Köpenickers in all respects and won in the end with a commanding 2:0. Perhaps Urs Fischer’s team needed a damper in the league in order to now take off on the international stage. It’s about time, because even a draw in Malmö could be too little to make it into the Europa League.
We expect Robin Knoche, who did not play in Frankfurt for personal reasons, to be back in the game on Thursday as a stabiliser. Otherwise, no major changes should be expected. Julian Ryerson (cold) and Kevin Möhwald (injury) are still out. Sven Michel, who is serving a red card suspension in the Europa League, will certainly not be involved.
Union Berlin’s line-up:
Rönnow – Jaeckel, Knoche, Leite – Schäfer, Khedira, Haberer, Gießelmann, Trimmel – Jordan, Becker – Coach: Fischer
Last matches played by Union Berlin:
Bundesliga
01/10/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 2 – 0 Union Berlin
18/09/2022 – Union Berlin 2 – 0 VfL Wolfsburg
Europa League Grp. D
16/09/2022 – Braga 1 – 0 Union Berlin
Bundesliga
11/09/2022 – 1. FC Köln 0 – 1 Union Berlin
Europa League Grp. D
08/09/2022 – Union Berlin 0 – 1 Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Malmö – Union Berlin Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
Union Berlin remain a relatively new club in the German Bundesliga and must therefore be considered newcomers to international competitions. The Köpenicker have faced just over a handful of opponents in the European Cup so far. Malmö FF have not been one of them so far and that is why the two opponents will measure forces for the first time on Thursday.
Malmö – Union Berlin Tip
The season in the Allsvenskan comes to an end for Malmö in the coming weeks. Defending the title is hardly possible anymore and therefore the Swedes will now focus more on the European Cup. The last remaining goal of the season is to spend the winter in the European Cup, even if it is only to be relegated to the Conference League in third place.
In the meantime, relegation to the Conference League is also the minimum goal for Union in the European Cup. Urs Fischer’s team will, however, do everything in their power to catch up in the Europa League
But if we look at the last results of both teams, they rarely if ever scored more than 2.5 goals. The Berliners are also scoring a maximum of one in their last few games. That makes it all the more important for the Eisern to take a 1:0 lead. We have decided, in view of the last results, to play the betting odds on less than 2.5 goals between Malmö and Union Berlin
