Our prediction for this Champions League match:
A place in the Champions League third qualifying round will be at stake when Zalgiris and Malmo take on each other in a highly-anticipated double-header. Malmo set up a meeting with Zalgiris by beating Vikingur of Iceland in a two-legged tie, and they head into Tuesday’s clash following a 2-0 win over Norrkoping. The good news for the Swedish champions is that important forward Isaac Thelin has overcome his injury, but both Rieks and Nalic remain in the recovery room.
Serbia international Veljko Birmancevic is widely expected to return to the starting XI. The Lithuanians, on the other hand, eliminated FK Ballkani in round 1 thanks to Oyewusi’s extra-time winner, but Malmo will pose a much bigger threat for the home team than their previous rivals. Since the Swedes have been impressive in front of goal of late, we believe that punters from all around the globe can find value in betting on the away side.
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.
Highlighted Team (Malmo):
Founded on February 24, 1910, Malmo are a Swedish team that compete in Allsvenskan league. The Blues welcome their rivals at Stadion, Malmo, the venue which was opened in April, 2009. It is important to note that the stadium can hold up to 22,500 supporters of which 18,000 are seated.
Malmo are the most successful Swedish side, with the team winning their 23rd domestic trophy in 2017. The Blues finished the season seven points clear of AIK, scoring 63 goals and conceding 27 in the process. Speaking of the club’s European success, Malmo did well to make it to the European Cup final in the 1978/1979 season, but they eventually failed to win the trophy.
The Swedish side were beaten by Nottingham Forest in the title game (0-1), with Trevor John Francis scoring the only goal of the match. Malmo wear sky-blue shirts and white shorts when playing at home, whereas their away colour is black.