Iberia – Malmoe

The champion of Georgia will put up a worthy resistance to the guests from Sweden

Iberia 1999 from the Saburtalo district of the capital of Georgia has been dominating the national championship for the last couple of years. Last season was marked by the second championship title in the history of the young club. The team's triumph was achieved in the second arrival of Levan Korghalidze on the coaching bridge. At the beginning of the current decade, this coach reached the maximum fourth final position, and now he has led the team to the championship title. The last time the club, formerly known simply as Saburtalo, played in European competitions was in 2022. Back then, the Georgian team beat Steaua 1-0 at home in the first qualifying round of the Conference League, but lost away to a bigger opponent 2-4. The upcoming challenge for Iberia 1999 is much more serious. The Champions League with all its bonuses and preferences is at stake. Malmö is a much more experienced European Cup fighter. The champion of Sweden of the last two years and the most titled club of this country once even played with Chelsea in the same Champions League group. Of course, the Swedes are counting on a successful outcome of the duel with the champion of Georgia, but will everything be so easy for the Sky Blue? Bookmakers have the visitors as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 1.53 on their victory. Last season Iberia 1999 finished in first place in the national championship with a gap of five points from the nearest pursuer. In the current draw of the elite division of Georgia, the capital club looks even more serious. According to the results of eighteen rounds, Iberia gained an advantage over the pursuing Dila in six points, having conceded only six goals during this period. The team has no well-known players, but it is well-formed, including the mid-table internationals. Malmo won the last round of the Swedish championship, but are failing miserably in the current one. The most expensive Allsvenskan squad can't even reach the top three teams in the standings. And this is despite the fact that half of the matches of the calendar of the current season have already passed. In the last round Allsvenskan Malmo lost points again, failing to score against GAIS (0:0). The playing form of the guests will not allow them to win in Tbilisi.