Preview: IFK Goteborg vs AIK Fotboll - prediction, team news, lineups

A slow start to the season has left IFK Goteborg looking over their shoulder in the Allsvenskan table, and Stefan Billborn’s side will be desperate for all three points when AIK visit the Gamla Ullevi on Sunday afternoon in matchday 11.

Goteborg sit just four points above the relegation zone and are yet to win at home this season, while AIK arrive looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat in their most recent league outing.

Match preview

Goteborg head into Sunday’s match in 14th place with 10 points from two wins, four draws and four defeats, having scored 13 goals and conceded 22, which reflects the defensive vulnerability this season so far.

The season began poorly with a 2-0 away defeat to IF Elfsborg, and Billborn’s side had to wait until their eighth league fixture before registering their first win - a 3-2 victory over Orgryte IS.

Both of Goteborg’s wins this season have come on the road, and with no home victory yet registered at the Gamla Ullevi, Sunday represents a significant opportunity to address that record.

The contrast with last season is stark - Goteborg finished fourth and missed out on Europa Conference League qualifiers by just a single point, making their current position of 14th all the more difficult to accept for a club with their ambitions.

Their last two outings have been club friendlies rather than competitive action, a 1-1 draw against Valerenga followed by a 2-1 defeat to HamKam, and Billborn will be hoping that preparation time has been used productively ahead of a match his side aim to win.

AIK arrive in 10th place with 12 points from three wins, three draws and four defeats with 12 goals scored and 16 conceded.

The visitors opened the season with a 2-1 win over Halmstad before a 2-2 draw with IF Brommapojkarna and a 1-0 victory over Kalmar suggested they had found their footing, only for back-to-back defeats against Degerfors and Malmo to halt that momentum.

Their last league outing was a 3-0 home defeat to Sirius - a frustrating result for Jose Riveiro’s side - AIK head into Sunday’s match having won just once in their last five Allsvenskan fixtures.

A 12-time Swedish champion, AIK have not lifted the title since 2018, having finished seventh last season, and Riveiro will know that performances need to improve significantly if his side are to push higher up the table this season.

In the last five head-to-head meetings between the clubs, AIK have won three, with one draw and one win for Goteborg - that most recent encounter ending in favour of the hosts.

IFK Goteborg Swedish Allsvenskan form:

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IFK Goteborg form (all competitions):

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AIK Fotboll Swedish Allsvenskan form:

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AIK Fotboll form (all competitions):

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Team News

Goteborg head into Sunday’s match with several absentees. Jonas Bager and Kolbeinn Thordarson are both serving one-match suspensions due to yellow card accumulation.

Arbnor Mucolli remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, with no confirmed return date yet in sight.

Tobias Heintz scored four goals against Vasteras in the most recent league outing and should be in action on Sunday.

AIK arrive with their own suspension issues, with midfielder Mads Thychosen and Dino Besirovic both ruled out due to yellow card accumulation.

Stanley Wilson is unavailable through injury, while Ibrahim Cisse is sidelined with an ankle complaint.

Charlie Pavey and Andreas Redkin are also both absent, with the latter sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury.

IFK Goteborg possible starting lineup:

Bishesari; Jallow, Erlingmark, Yeboah, Tolf; Ottosson, Kruse, Heintz; Clemmensen, Wiberg, Brantlind

AIK Fotboll possible starting lineup:

Nordfeldt; Bergquist, Csongvai, Papagiannopoulos, Faqa; Ali, Hove, Geiger; Celina, Flataker, Filling

We say: IFK Goteborg 2-2 AIK Fotboll

Both sides arrive in inconsistent form and carrying significant absentees, and with Goteborg yet to win at home and AIK without a league victory in four of their last five outings, there is little to separate these two sides.

Heintz’s form gives Goteborg a genuine threat going forward, but AIK have shown enough quality on their day to avoid defeat, and a share of the spoils looks a fair reflection of where both clubs currently stand.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.