Royale Union SG v Malmo
15 September 2000hrs
Football – Europe – Europa League
Pick Royale Union win
Bookmaker bet365
Odds: 1.53 odds taken 0853 GMT, Wednesday 14th September
Thursday evening brings us further action from the Europa League and features this upcoming clash between Royale Union SG and Malmo at the Stade Joseph Mariën in Group D with the hosts looking to pick up back to back wins in this competition, while Malmo will be wanting to stay in touch with the teams above them with a win here.
Table of Contents
Royale Union SG Preview – Can Royale Union secure footing in Group D?
Having registered a solid and impressive 1-0 win away from home at German counterparts, Union Berlin, in last week’s Matchday 1 clash of this season’s Europa League, the Belgian hosts, Royale Union, will return to the more familiar surroundings of their Stade Joseph Mariën looking to capture another three points which would place the hosts in a strong position as they bid for a top two finish in Group D.
Royale Union have won four of their last six matches across all competitions and includes domestic First Division A victories over Kortrijk, Anderlecht and Zulte Waregem, along with last week’s aforementioned win away at Union Berlin, so the hosts look in good shape to add to their points tally here.
The bigger picture also looks favourable for Royale Union as the hosts have lost just four out of their last 17 matches in all competitions, picking up a total of 10 wins in the process, and it’s worth mentioning that three of these four defeats were dealt out to the Belgian club away from home too.
Thursday’s hosts will be playing their first ever home tie in the Europa League but they’ll be confident that they can at least hold their own here as they’ve lost just four of their last 19 home games in all competitions and will be hoping to transfer this form onto the European stage.
New signing, Victor Boniface, from Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt, is expected to lead the line up front with fellow striker Dante Vanzeir, with the likes of Teddy Teuma in a supporting role.
Malmo Preview – Can Malmo produce response?
Malmo slipped to a 2-0 defeat at home to Portuguese opposition, Sporting Braga, in last week’s opening game in Group D so the visitors will be searching for a result of some kind as they look to keep pace with the other teams in the group, but this upcoming task in Belgium doesn’t look to be straightforward.
It’s been a lengthy season already for Malmo who began the new term with a pre-season friendly with Trelleborg back in mid-June and found themselves out of the Champions League at an early stage in the proceedings following an eventful 6-5 win on aggregate against Icelandic outfit, Vikingur Reykjavik.
A 3-0 defeat on aggregate to Lithuanian side, Zalgiris, put an end to Malmo’s dream of a possible lucrative place in the group stage of the Champions League but subsequent wins in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League against F91 Dudelange and Sivasspor saw the Swedish visitors claim a place in the group stage of the second tier competition.
However, results have been inconsistent overall for Malmo who have lost six of their last 15 matches across all competitions, and although they’ve lost just twice in their previous nine games at Europa League level, results on the road have also been a mixed bag of returns for the visitors.
Wins on the road at Bnei Yehuda, FC Copenhagen, Honved and Sivasspor have been offset by losses incurred at Zrinjski, Dinamo Kiev and Wolfsburg in previous campaigns, so there are no guarantees of success for Malmo on Thursday night.
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Royale Union SG v Malmo
Key Facts – Royale Union SG v Malmo Tip
- Royale Union have lost just 4 out of their last 17 matches in all competitions
- Royale Union have lost just 4 of their last 19 home games in all competitions
- Malmo have lost 6 of their last 15 matches across all competitions
Royale Union will be boosted by their impressive win away at Union Berlin last week and with home advantage here on Matchday 2, the Belgian hosts look set for further success here at Malmo’s expense.
The best betting odds for Royale Union SG v Malmo
Royale Union to win: 1.53 at bet365
Draw: 4.00 at bet365
Malmo to win: 6.50 at bet365
