Next stop: Champions League – who will take the final step?
The revival of Iron Sparta continues unabated. After winning the championship twice in a row, they now look more than capable of reaching the group stage in the top flight after a dominant 2-0 away win. This makes Sparta Prague against Malmö the tip par excellence for a home win and the associated promotion
When it comes to playing style, the Czechs are proving their remarkable renaissance here too. After the departure of the championship-winning coach, they simply promoted the assistant coach, who had been rather unknown until then. The result is continuity in the system. Although this can also be said about the Swedes, Sparta are currently on a real roll
At the start of a season, the northerners usually have a certain advantage with their annual championships. But there was hardly any sign of that in the first leg. The fact that Sparta Prague is the odds-on favorite against Malmö is also due to their performances at home and abroad
Sparta Prague – Statistics & current form
The Czech record champions are on the verge of returning to the top flight. 90 concentrated minutes are still missing and they are there. Regardless of the outcome of the clash, one thing is certain. The hosts will score a goal. Accordingly, the odds on Sparta Prague and Malmö should be scoured for goals.
Since the early start of preparations at the end of June, there have been a total of 14 matches when test and competitive matches are combined. None of them ended without a goal. There have been 34 in total, and even if the number dwindled somewhat in the league and European Cup games, they remained potent offensively in their 3-4-3.
They have mastered both action and reaction. Having created a near-perfect starting position in the far north, conceding just under 40% of the ball and forcing an own goal, they may only have to counter-attack for one more home game before the most famous anthem in European club soccer rings out across the Prague night sky.
Which defense takes the field?
Until the first leg between the two opponents, this would have been a simple treatise on the susceptibility to conceding goals. Considering that in the aforementioned 14 starts there were exactly four without conceding a goal, it’s no wonder.
It is clear that the prediction of Sparta Prague conceding a goal against Malmö does not seem far-fetched. However, one of the four games was the one in Sweden. As reported, they had less of the ball but also had few problems with the attacks of the then hosts.
At the end of the game, the claret team had better numbers both in terms of shots on goal and shots on target. So if Malmö don’t find their shooting boots quickly, it will probably be the last step on the road to the Europa League.
Predicted Sparta Prague line-up:
Vindahl – Vitik, Panak, Sorensen – Preciado, Laci, Kairinen, Rynes – Haraslin, Olatunji, Birmancevic
Malmö – Statistics & current form
Win or fly. Now it’s time to score! On paper, the Sky Blues held all the aces. Home field and the summer league, including match practice. But what they then conjured up on the pitch was more than disappointing from the Swedish record champions’ point of view, especially offensively.
With 49 goals in 20 rounds, they have the best offense of the three crowns in the Allsvenskan. They also scored a total of six goals in two games against PAOK in the previous round. The poor performance in the first leg against Sparta therefore came as something of a surprise.
There are now two ways in which the second game could develop. Either Sparta will score an ice-cold victory on one or more counter-attacks or Malmö will get back on the offensive track. They have the potential and that’s probably why the odds on a clean sheet for Sparta Prague against Malmö are a dangerous mistress, despite the impressions from the first leg.
The defense melted in the summer
The Allsvenskan likes to take some time off in the height of summer. The reasons are the weather, but also international transfers. The match calendar is thus somewhat equalized and the players have a certain amount of time off.
However, the defense in particular does not seem to have come out of this summer slump well. Although they are in second place behind Djurgarden with 19 goals conceded in 20 rounds (18 goals conceded), there is a discernible trend.
Since the break in June, they have conceded seven goals in five games in the league. In the European comparison, eleven goals have been conceded in five appearances. So you don’t need a crystal ball to recognize where the shoe of success is currently pinching and where investments are worthwhile.
Predicted Malmö line-up:
Dahlin – Busanello, Zatterstrom, Jansson, Larsen – Nanasi, Johnsen, Pena, Bolin – Botheim, Thelin
Sparta Prague – Malmö head-to-head comparison / H2H result
Unusually for international competition at this stage, the history of this clash is a rich one. The clubs have met five times in various knockout rounds since 2014. The current score is 3:2 after victories for Sparta.
If they qualify, it would be their first promotion in all the showdowns. To date, the Swedes have always been ahead on aggregate. This time, however, Sparta Prague and Malmö seem far more likely to win at home.
Sparta Prague – Malmö betting tip
If the match philosophies are anything to go by, it should be an entertaining game. The Irons have already proven in the first leg and in the first few games of the new year that they have a lot to offer, especially offensively. Combined with the sky blue team’s compulsion to do something, betting on goals could mutate into an odds boost for the betting slip
The betting shops are unanimous. Anything other than Sparta Prague vs Malmö ending in a home win and the Czech record champions advancing would be a huge surprise. The pressure on the visitors from the north in particular will create space. Sparta have the quality to exploit them
