Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Swedish Allsvenskan clash between Halmstads BK and Varnamo, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two sides looking to end their respective winless runs in the Swedish Allsvenskan will clash when Halmstads BK host Varnamo at Orjans Vall on Saturday evening.
The hosts are on a three-match losing streak heading into this clash, while the visitors are without a win in their last two matches.
Match preview
© Imago
Halmstads BK’s season has dipped after a strong start, as they have just two of their last ten matches, leaving them precariously close to the relegation zone.
Magnus Haglund‘s men sit on 18 points, a mere four clear of the drop zone, and just two points ahead of Kalmar, the current occupants of the relegation playoff spot.
HBK’s form is troubling, with seven defeats in their last ten league games – their most recent setback being a 1-0 defeat to struggling Norrkoping, extending their losing streak to three.
Notably, Halmstad are the only team in the Allsvenskan yet to register a draw this season, but they will be dying to take any point that comes their way this instance.
Returning home could be a positive for them, having collected two-thirds of their points at Orjans Vall, winning two of their last three home matches.
Additionally, they boast an unbeaten record in their last seven encounters against Varnamo, a run they will be eager to extend.
Meanwhile, Varnamo find themselves in 10th place, level on points with their hosts, and also precariously close to the relegation scrap.
Anes Mravac‘s side have shown a lack of consistency in recent outings, with two wins, three defeats, and a draw in their last six games.
Their most recent fixture was a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Hacken where they had to fight back from two goals down thanks to Gustav Engvall and a last-gasp 98th-minute equaliser from Johnbosco Samuel Kalu.
Varnamo will head back on the road, where they have picked up 13 of their total points, winning four of their seven away games.
However, they were defeated on their last trip to Djurgardens and will be hoping to avoid consecutive away defeats for the first time this season.
Halmstads BK Swedish Allsvenskan form:
Varnamo Swedish Allsvenskan form:
Team News
Halmstad will remain without the services of leading scorer Naeem Mohammed, who is set to miss the rest of the campaign after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury.
Centre-back Joseph Baffo is suspended for this clash after breaking the yellow card threshold, with Andreas Johansson being the likely replacement.
Meanwhile, Varnamo will head into this match with the complement of a fully fit and available squad, leaving Mravac with a wealth of options.
Kalu has scored seven goals in his last eight appearances, and he is the man to watch out for, as he is expected to start as part of the front two once again.
Halmstads BK possible starting lineup:
Erlandsson; Boman, Olsson, Johansson, Wallentin, Nogueira; Eyjolfsson, Svedberg, Allansson; Granath, Turgott
Varnamo possible starting lineup:
Rasheed; Winsth, Steinwender, Grozdanic, Bergh; Junior Adjei, Thern, Nasstrom, Zeljkovic; Kalu, Engvall
We say: Halmstads BK 0-1 Varnamo
Varnamo are a top-three away side in the league, and they will be coming up against a Halmstad side that cannot seem to get anything right at the moment – which is why we have tilted towards the visitors for this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.