Viktoria Plzeň’s Current Form

Things are not going well for Viktoria Plzeň. In the opening Europa League round, they inexplicably squandered an away win against Ferencváros (1:1), a team of similar caliber. If they fail to secure a victory against another mid-table side like Malmö, their prospects for advancing to the playoffs will diminish significantly, especially with a tougher schedule ahead.

Recent Domestic Setbacks

Adding to their European disappointment, Viktoria Plzeň’s recent Czech League match demonstrated their mental fragility. On Matchday 10 of the First League, they suffered a 0-1 defeat to newly promoted Zlín, notably missing a penalty (hitting the post). This second consecutive loss, following a crucial 1-2 match against Sparta Prague, dropped them to fifth place. Furthermore, Ferencváros managed to equalize in the 94th minute of their Europa League game, despite playing with ten men.

Malmö’s Resilient Performance

Malmö, in contrast, shows greater resilience. While they don’t win every game, they have recorded only two losses in their last ten matches. A brief five-day slump recently saw them lose to Djurgården (0:1) in the Allsvenskan and then to Ludogorets (1:2) in the Europa League, both at home. However, they bounced back with a 3-2 victory against Swedish league strugglers Varberg. On the road, the Sky Blues have achieved three wins and one draw recently, including a 2-0 triumph over Sigma, one of Plzeň’s Czech First League rivals.

Expert’s Conclusion

Therefore, despite a slight risk, I am betting on a double chance for Malmö. They appear to be in more stable form recently, while Viktoria Plzeň struggles with converting their scoring opportunities.