Preview: GAIS vs. Halmstads BK - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to respond to last weekend's league defeat to AIK, GAIS welcome bottom-placed Halmstads BK to Gamla Ullevi in Sunday's 14th gameweek.

The hosts are eighth in the Allsvenskan table, although the Conference League hopefuls are only four points shy of third-placed Hacken, ahead of this weekend's visit from their cellar-dwelling opponents.

Match preview

Without a loss since May, GAIS' unbeaten streak either side of the hiatus ended last weekend away at AIK, losing 2-0 for their fifth top-flight loss.

While Fredrik Holmberg's team returned to winning ways during the week with a 1-0 Conference League second qualifying round first-leg success over Nordsjaelland, the Mackerels are back in league play looking to avoid consecutive setbacks for the first time since falling to three straight losses at the start of the campaign.

Not since the opening day of the season when they were beaten 1-0 by Djurgarden have the hosts suffered a loss in Gothenburg, but they have held a strong record at Gamla Ullevi since.

The next six in front of their supporters have ended in four wins and two draws, with those 14 points making their home form the third-best in the Allsvenskan behind Hammarby (19) and Sirius (16).

Having won the last three on home soil, Holmberg's men will back themselves to return to winning ways at Halmstad's expense.

Indeed, the struggling side face an uphill challenge on Sunday, considering GAIS' strength in Gothenburg and their ongoing losing sequence.

A 2-0 relegation six-pointer success over Orgryte in their penultimate fixture before the hiatus has proven to be a false dawn for Bollklubben, who have since fallen to four consecutive defeats either side of the league's pause.

With the team scoring just 10 goals — the fewest in the league — and letting in 28 — a tally worse than all but Orgryte (33) and Goteborg (29) — Stuart Baxter's team effectively have challenges at both ends of the pitch.

Thus, it will be interesting to see if the bottom side find within them an anomalous performance to halt GAIS' impressive winning run at Gamla Ullevi.

A positive outcome, though, may seem far-fetched, especially considering that Halmstad have lost five of their six away fixtures this term, including the last four, having scored four goals and conceded 15.

They have netted just two in their last four losses on the road, falling to a pair of 2-0 losses against Mjallby and Kalmar, a 3-0 defeat to Djurgarden and a 5-2 reverse at Malmo, highlighting their struggles for any encouragement on their travels ahead of Sunday afternoon.

GAIS Swedish Allsvenskan form:

GAIS form (all competitions):

Halmstads BK Swedish Allsvenskan form:

Team News

Matteo de Brienne was GAIS' hero in their Conference League win on Thursday, and the left-back is in a straight battle with Roin Wendin Thomasson to start in Holmberg's backline this weekend.

The hosts are without Blessing Asuman, Mohamed Bawa, Kevin Holmen (knee) and Gustav Lundgren (Achilles) due to injury.

Makrillarna have effectively spread the goals around this term, with Samuel Salter and Robert Frosti Thorkelsson notching three each, and the pair will hope to add to those tallies on Sunday.

As for the cellar-dwellers, Omar Faraj leads the way with three league goals for the Ball Club, although the forward has not scored since the league's resumption, failing to find the net against VSK, Djurgarden and Hacken.

On the injury front, Baxter has a healthy squad for the 14th gameweek, even if Erko Jonne Tougjas will be assessed after going off early last time out.

GAIS possible starting lineup:

Krasniqi; Wangberg, Frej, Agren, De Brienne; Milovanovic, Fagerjord, Sletsjoe; Thorkelsson, Salter, Niklasson

Halmstads BK possible starting lineup:

Ronning; Boman, Gregor, Wallentin, Kaib; Kapsimalis, Allansson, Ascone, Carneil; Arvidsson, Faraj

We say: GAIS 2-0 Halmstads BK

Halmstad have looked utterly bereft of confidence during their torrid four-game losing streak, and a trip to face a formidable GAIS side at Gamla Ullevi is unlikely to offer any respite for the cellar-dwellers.

Although a taxing midweek Conference League fixture could lead to some heavy legs in the GAIS camp, their impressive momentum on home soil suggests they have more than enough quality to overcome their relegation-threatened visitors.

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