Elfsborg – Nice

The rivals in the meeting in Buros will exchange goals

The Swedish club is among those most affected by the new format of European tournaments. The Allsvenskan, in which Elfsborg plays, is played on a spring-autumn schedule, with the final rounds taking place in November. It's one thing when in previous years rare Scandinavian teams made it to the European spring and the players were released until March. It is another when now the matches of the general stage are completed in December, and resumed in January. It turns out that the coaching staff is forced to keep the Elfsborg players in tone, playing only in the Europa League. Thus, for the last month and a half, the "yellows" had no game practice, except for a friendly in Murcia, Spain, against Polish team Stal Melec. Her Swedish club lost with the score 0:2. Nice with game practice has no problems. For the described period of Elfsborg's life activity, the French team held six official matches: four in the championship and two in the French Cup. Bookmakers have identified the guests as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 2.32 on their victory. After the final second place in the Swedish championship before last, the past Elfsborg finished only in seventh position. Given that only three Allsvenskan clubs qualify for the European Cup through the championship, the only chance for the Yellows to play in the next European Cup season is the Swedish Cup, which will end in May 2025. As such, Elfsborg's Europa League matches against Nice and Tottenham could be their last in continental tournaments for the next year and a half. It is unlikely that increased motivation in the current situation can make the Yellowjackets much stronger. On the contrary, the burden of responsibility can play in the opposite direction. Nice are almost out of the Europa League, having picked up only two points after six rounds. On this team before the meeting in Buros, on the contrary, nothing is under pressure. Two full days after the meeting in Sweden, Nice players will play in the national championship against Marseille. Even if the guests will come to the match with a mixed squad, as in the last round of the Europa League went to Belgium, they will definitely have a chance to win against a less classy opponent and at least one goal.