Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Eleda Stadion will host Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier between Malmo and Zalgiris. The Lithuanians won the first leg thanks to Fabien Ourega’s goal, and they are now on a quest to defend their slim lead in Sweden. Even though Zalgiris are likely to adopt a defence-minded approach in the second leg, we do not believe that they are capable of keeping yet another clean sheet as Malmo are a real force to be reckoned with at home.
Head coach Vladimir Cheburin is unlikely to make changes to the team that won the first leg. The Blues, on the other hand, have no other option but to go all guns blazing at the Lithuanian champions. Issac Thelin is widely expected to return to the starting XI, while Mahame Siby has joined the likes of Nalic and Reiks in the recovery room. Anyhow, home win should be considered as Eleda Stadion will be packed on Wednesday evening.
Highlighted Player (Niklas Moisander):
Despite playing for Ajax during his youth career, Niklas Moisander began started playing for Finnish side TPS at senior level. However, after making 17 league appearances for the club in the 2002/2003 season, he returned to Ajax on 5 June, 2003. Moisander played for Jong Ajax in Beloften Eredivisie and in 2006 he joined Zwolle.
The Finnish defender signed for fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in 2008 and he spent four years at the club. In 2012 he returned to Ajax and he started playing for the Amsterdam Arena outfit on regular basis. After making 77 league appearances for Ajax between 2012 and 2015, he joined Sampdoria on March 2015 on a free transfer.
Moisander signed a three-year deal with the club and he played 22 league games for La Samp in the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign. At the end of the season he moved to Werder Bremen. The former Ajax footballer was born on 29 September, 1985 in Turku, Finland.