Two sides looking to escape the relegation zone will clash when IFK Goteborg welcome Varnamo to Gamla Ullevi in the Swedish Allsvenskan on Saturday.
The teams are separated by a single place and point, with the hosts in 13th position on 19 points and the visitors in 14th on 18.
Match preview
![IFK Göteborgs coach Stefan Billborn before the football match in Allsvenskan between Värnamo and IFK Göteborg on July 7, 2024 in Värnamo [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/29/stefan-billborn.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "IFK Göteborgs coach Stefan Billborn before the football match in Allsvenskan between Värnamo and IFK Göteborg on July 7, 2024 in Värnamo [IMAGO]")
© Imago
Goteborg's winless run extended to three matches after squandering a one-goal lead to draw 1-1 with Djurgardens at Tele2 Arena last Sunday.
Blavitt have been embroiled in the relegation battle since the start of this Allsvenskan campaign, having narrowly avoided the drop last season.
Stefan Billborn will be desperate for his side to return to winning ways when they host Varnamo, a team that defeated them 2-0 as recently as July 7 in the reverse fixture.
Aiming to bounce back from that disappointment and climb the table, the hosts will be hoping for a second victory in their last six league matches, but with only two wins from eight home games, there are doubts about their ability to turn up the heat.
Precariously close to the automatic relegation zone, with just three points separating them from 15th-placed Kalmar, Goteborg will be eager to secure three points against a fellow struggler.
Like their opponents, Varnamo are looking to end their four-match winless run, which has seen them slip into the relegation play-off spot.
Anes Mravac's side have picked up just one point in this period, a draw with Hacken, but they have lost the other three matches, including a 4-2 defeat against Sirius in their most recent league outing.
Aiming to avoid a third consecutive defeat for the first time this season in a bid to halt their slide down the table, Varnamo will be looking to prevent a third successive away loss.
The visitors won three consecutive away matches in May, and Mravac will hope his side can replicate that form starting with Saturday's clash.
Having won their last three matches against Goteborg, including one away from home, Varnamo will be keen to extend this streak and move away from the relegation play-off spot.
Team News
© Reuters
Goteborg could remain without goalkeeper Pontus Dahlberg, who has had a cruciate ligament tear since March.
Paulos Abraham, Laurs Skjellerup, Jonas Bager and Elis Bishesari are all expected to miss this clash due to muscle injuries, while Suleiman Abdullahi is sidelined with a knee issue.
Twenty-four-year-old midfielder Kolbeinn Thordarson is suspended after passing the yellow card threshold.
Varnamo have no injury or suspension worries heading into this clash, leaving manager Mravac with a wealth of options.
Johnbosco Samuel Kalu has notched up seven league goals this season, making him the major attacking threat to watch out for.
IFK Goteborg possible starting lineup:
Karlstrom; Ohlsson, Svensson, Wendt, Trondsen; Erlingmark, Kruse; Santos, Pettersson, Mucolli; Norlin
Varnamo possible starting lineup:
Rasheed; Larsson, Grozdanic, Steinwender, Lohikangas; Alsalkhadi, Thern, Nasstrom, Wenderson, Zeljkovic; Kalu
We say: IFK Goteborg 1-2 Varnamo
Both teams have had similar Allsvenskan campaigns so far, but Varnamo have demonstrated an ability to pick up points away from home, and have also dominated this fixture in recent years, which is why we are backing them to win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
