Preview: Malmo vs Elfsborg - prediction, team news, lineups

Vying to close the gap to the Swedish Allsvenskan's European places on Sunday, Malmo will face off against Elfsborg at Eleda Stadion.

Di Blae could make it four wins from five games this weekend, while Di Gule will be desperate to stop the rot after losing three on the bounce ahead of kick off.

Match preview

Malmo come into this clash in strong form, having benefited from the new manager bounce under the guidance of Gaute Helstrup.

The 50-year-old was appointed on July 1 - leaving his role as Bodo/Glimt assistant to take the reins at Di Blae - and has overseen two wins and one draw from his three matches so far.

Helstrup kept two clean sheets in his first two outings, beating Degerfors 1-0 on July 4 and Goteborg 4-0 on July 12, though that thrashing was marred by the anterior cruciate ligament injury that has ruled Malmo winger Oscar Sjostrand out for the rest of the season.

The new boss saw his winning start come to an end on Monday, in a disappointing 2-2 draw with 12th-placed Kalmar that required his team to come from behind twice, just to walk away with a point.

That stalemate left Malmo seventh in the Allsvenskan, where their total of 20 points has them three behind third-placed Hacken.

Knowing that victory could lift their team into the spots for the Conference League qualifiers, fans of the hosts will take heart from the fact they have won back-to-back home league clashes heading into Sunday's showdown.

Meanwhile, Bjorn Hamberg's Elfsborg are in contrastingly dire form, and go into this weekend's contest having failed to win any of their last eight games.

To make matters worse, Di Gule were beaten 3-1 by top-of-the-table Sirius most recently, and while the result was not unexpected, it marked the team's third consecutive defeat.

All-in-all, Hamberg's side have not taken maximum points since downing Brommapojkarna 2-0 on May 8, a concerning record that has put the manager under pressure.

Elfsborg currently sit ninth in the Swedish Allsvenskan with 18 points to their name, but while they have fallen from their impressive early-season form, the club remain just five points off the top three.

If Di Gule can find their feet with a rare triumph on Sunday, then the complexion of their campaign could be drastically shifted, with the race for Europe far from over as things stand.

That being said, Elfsborg have won only one of their away league matches in 2026, drawing three times and losing twice, and it would be a surprise to see the visitors defy their travelling record this weekend.

Malmo Swedish Allsvenskan form:

Elfsborg Swedish Allsvenskan form:

Team News

Malmo have an extensive list of absentees to contend with this weekend, made worse by the suspension that midfielder Kenan Busuladzic picked up for accumulating yellow cards.

Fellow midfielder Yanis Karabelyov is sidelined through injury, while left winger Oscar Sjostrand is in the early stages of recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, and striker Anders Christiansen is working his way to full fitness following a leg issue.

In their absence, Otto Rosengren could start behind Adrian Skogmar and 17-year-old Theodor Lundbergh in the centre of the park, with Sead Haksabanovic and Anton Hoog operating out wide in support of centre-forward Erik Botheim.

At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Robin Olsen is a doubt due to a concussion, while left-back Busanello's concussion will see him miss the game, and centre-back Pontus Jansson is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

With that in mind, Johan Dahlin should be on hand to start between the sticks, protected by a back four of Jens Stryger, Andrej Djuric, Malte Palsson and Noah John.

As for Elfsborg, they are missing striker Per Frick as he recovers from a broken ankle he suffered back in April, so expect to see Frederik Ihler lead the line, supplied by an attacking trio of Momoh Kamara, Julius Beck and Ari Sigurpalsson.

Malmo possible starting lineup:

Dahlin; Stryger, Djuric, Palsson, John; Rosengren; Haksabanovic, Lundbergh, Skogmar, Hoog; Botheim

Elfsborg possible starting lineup:

Pettersson; Wkstrom, Holmen, Isherwood, Hult; Magnusson, Olsson; Kamara, Beck, Sigurpalsson; Ihler