Varberg – Goeteborg

The match is unlikely to end with Gothenburg’s third consecutive league win

The opponents in one of the final matches of the 17th round of the Allsvenskan last season landed in almost equal positions in the middle of the standings. The current season the clubs are spending with approximately the same degree of success, but Varberg is slightly closer to the relegation zone, and Gothenburg - to the zone of the fight for European Cup positions. This fact is only meant to exacerbate the teams' motivation for Monday's face-off. Varberg were promoted a couple of seasons ago and have managed to gain a foothold in the Allsvenskan. The team's main problem this season is their attacking play. Varberg have produced just 14 goals and 18 points through 16 rounds. In the last two home games, Varberg failed to score against Hammarby (0-3) and Helsingborg (0-0). The four or five thousand fans who regularly attend Varberg's home games are certainly hungry for goals of their team and will push them forward. Gothenburg have had two wins over Norrköping in previous rounds. The six points lifted the team from the middle of the standings to sixth place, six points from leading Djurgården. The magic of numbers, of course, will not make the visitors a real title contender, but in the upcoming game they might overconfident in their own strength, which is dangerous in away matches against uncomfortable opponents. In away encounters this season, Gothenburg have scored exactly one goal on average. This means that if Varberg score at least a goal after a two-match "drought", the visitors are unlikely to win. Moreover, Varberg are indeed an uncomfortable opponent for Gothenburg. Last season, the Blues and Whites lost twice to their opponents, while they failed to win on home soil in the first leg of the current campaign. The May meeting between the teams started with a goal from Gothenburg, but the favourites conceded a counter-goal in the second half - 1-1. We'll bet that Varberg will not lose on home soil to an almost equal opponent.