Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 Europa League group stage between Malmö (Sweden) and Twente (Netherlands) will take place on January 23 at the Eleda Stadium. Malmö vs. Twente: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Germany)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 45;
Average yellow cards per match – 7.5;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 17%.
Predicted lineups for Malmö vs. Twente
Malmö (4-4-2): Joakim Persson – Gabriel Busanello, Nils Setterström, Colin Rösler, Jens Stryger-Larsen – Hugo Bolin, Otto Rosengren, Lasse Berg Johnsen, Anders Christiansen – Erik Botheim, Søren Rieks.
Twente (4-3-3): Lars Unnerstall – Bart van Rooi, Mees Hilgers, Alec Van Hoorenbeeck, Anass Salah-Eddine – Jury Regeer, Sam Steijn, Michal Sadilek – Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Sam Lammers, Michel Vlap.
The starting lineup for each team in their last match in this tournament is listed.
Malmö
In the last round, the Swedish club ended a three-match losing streak in the Europa League by drawing 2-2 with Galatasaray. However, they have lost even theoretical chances for direct qualification to the tournament's Round of 16 but are still in contention for a playoff spot. With two matches remaining in the group stage, Malmö is 31st in the Europa League standings, trailing the 24th spot by three points. Despite ending their losing streak, the team failed to keep a clean sheet, conceding in 12 consecutive matches in this tournament. In the current group stage, the club has conceded twice as many goals as they have scored – 6:12.
Due to health issues, key players such as goalkeeper Johan Dahlin, defenders Pontus Jansson and Anton Tinnerholm, and forward Stefano Vecchia will be unavailable.
- The team has not won in 11 of their last 12 Europa League matches (1 draw, 10 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 5 of Malmö's last 7 matches in the second-tier European competition.
- The club failed to score in 5 of their last 6 home Europa League matches.
Twente
The team failed to secure a win in the Europa League again, drawing 0-0 with Olympiacos in the previous match. Their winless streak in the second-tier European tournament has now reached 14 matches (10 draws, 4 losses). Notably, Twente is among the five clubs in the current group stage without a win. The team has the same number of points as their upcoming opponent in the Europa League standings but is ahead by one position due to a better goal difference, sharing similar tournament prospects. Twente's low scoring in the current Europa League campaign is also noteworthy, with only four goals scored, fewer than only two clubs.
Defender Mees Hilgers and forward Sam Lammers, who are still recovering from injuries, have not been included in the squad.
- No more than two goals were scored in 7 of the team's last 8 Europa League matches.
- Twente has not scored more than once in 11 of their last 12 matches in this tournament.
- The club has drawn their last 5 away Europa League matches.
Malmö vs. Twente: Match Prediction
Both teams have been underwhelming in the current Europa League campaign. The upcoming opponents are deservedly in the lower part of the standings, with only one win between them in 12 matches. Notably, Malmö has defensive issues, ranking among the worst defensive teams in the tournament with 12 goals conceded, more than only five teams. Twente, as noted earlier, struggles to score.
Nevertheless, the Dutch team is quite resilient and has not lost in 4 of their 6 group stage matches, ending them in draws. Moreover, in all three away matches in the current Europa League campaign, Twente shared points with their opponents, who were not easy – Manchester United, Nice, and Olympiacos. I believe the visitors will not lose this time either, as their upcoming opponent has not won at home in the Europa League for six matches, losing five without scoring.
Additionally, the outcome of this match could be influenced by the fact that Malmö lacks match practice. The Swedish Championship concluded in November, and the club's last official match was on December 12 in the Europa League against Galatasaray. I am confident that the visitors will extend their unbeaten away run in the second-tier European competition. My prediction – Twente to win or draw
