IFK Gothenburg host AIK in the Allsvenskan on Thursday evening, with the two giants of Swedish football meeting at Gamla Ullevi in the hope of strengthening their position in the standings.
IFK Gothenburg
Despite finishing fourth in the Allsvenskan table last time around, IFK Gothenburg have struggled to maintain such form throughout 2017, and as a result, they find themselves a lowly 11th in the current standings. Head coach Alf Westerberg is yet to find the answer to such difficulties, with IFK having won just one of their last five matches. IFK lost the likes of Mads Albaek and Thomas Rogne at the start of the season, with Kristopher Da Graca and Vajebah Sakor having so far failed to make up for their absence. Having lost 1-0 to relegation threatened Kalmar last time around, an encounter with AIK is hardly the perfect match-up for IFK, however it may well be just what the doctor ordered in terms of improving their motivation levels.
AIK
Meanwhile, last season’s Allsvenskan runners-up AIK once again find themselves nicely placed behind league leaders Malmo, with Rikard Norling’s side having won 9 of their 17 league matches to date in 2017. Despite being one of the lowest scoring teams in the division, it is AIK’s defensive capabilities that have seen them overcome many, with the Stockholm-based club having conceded just 11 goals. Having produced one of their best performances of the season to win 4-1 away at Sirius last time around, AIK face another tricky encounter with IFK on Thursday evening. Players such as Kristoffer Olsson and Denny Advic are likely to provide the biggest threat to the IFK goal at Gamla Ullevi.
Head to Head
IFK and AIK have met 29 times in the past, with the two teams holding very similar records in terms of match outcomes. IFK have registered 13 victories, compared to the 12 successes of AIK. The duo last met in the Dubai International Cup back in February, when IFK came out on top by two goals to one.
IFK have also gotten the better of AIK on numerous occasions over recent years, including 1-0 and 3-0 home victories over their rivals in the 2015 and 2016 season respectively.
Betting Odds and Predictions
The Swedish top-flight has quickly become a favourite market for football fans looking to place bets. The rivalry between IFK Gothenburg and AIK is long-standing, with both teams looking to come out on top come Thursday evening. Encounters between the duo are known for producing a large amount of goals, with 16 shots finding the back of the net in their last five matches. As a result, betting on their being more than 2.5 goals is well worth backing, which can be found at best odds of 43/40 at Ladbrokes.
Elsewhere, given the fact that AIK have lost just one top-flight match in their last five outings, backing them to either win or draw against IFK is another interesting option, with Ladbrokes offering customers odds of 7/20 for them to do so.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to back IFK Gothenburg to either draw or win, which is a market offered by Ladbrokes, with odds of 21/50. Despite their poor form, this is potentially the perfect match to help the Gothenburg-based team to kick-start their season.