Malmoe – Rangers

The Swedish champion will not be able to beat the guests from Scotland at home

Malmoe take part in the Europa League as Sweden's most titled club. Last year, the sky-blues snatched the Allsvenskan title from Elfsborg in the last round, and in the current campaign they dominate all their rivals long before the finish line. The Swedish club were in a long fight to qualify for the Champions League at the start of the season, but faltered in the decisive round. With the opportunity to play in the Europa League main draw, Malmoe has the opportunity to focus on this tournament, but whether the club matches the class of the local teams is a rhetorical question. Rangers are traditionally one of the two teams in the Scottish league that have been contenders for the league title year after year. In the last decade, the team has totalled first place on the domestic stage to Celtic, but on the European stage they almost always reach the play-offs of continental tournaments. In the 2021/2022 season, Rangers reached the final of the Europa League. Bookmakers have identified the home team as favourites for the upcoming encounter, offering odds of 2.39 on their victory. Malmö had a solid run in the Champions League qualification, having beaten Klaksvik and PAOK in two-match duels, but in the play-off round they had to play an experienced European fighter - Sparta Prague. The Czech team knocked Malmo into the Europa League. At home, the Sky Blue are closing in on another league title. In September, Malmo faced almost all the best clubs in the Swedish elite: GAIS, AIK, Hecken and Djurgården. The first two champions were defeated 0-0, while the last two were defeated 4-0. It is worth noting that Malmö are only reliable in defence in the Allsvenskan. In six Champions League qualifying matches, the team has never kept the goal intact. Rangers, as Scottish vice-champions, also started the European season in the Champions League. However, the team's path was much shorter. Having received Dynamo Kyiv as opponents, the Light Blues played well away (1-1), but at home they earned a 51st-minute penalty, after which they conceded two unanswered goals. Despite this, Rangers' squad costs 2.5 times more than the upcoming opponent. The class of the guests should affect the result of the away game and allow them to gain at least one point.