Malmo is heading into their Europa League match against Rangers with a lot of confidence. They recently beat BK Hacken 4-0, extending their lead in the Allsvenskan table to 11 points. This win also marked their seventh consecutive unbeaten game in the Swedish top-tier league.
Anders Christiansen, a Danish veteran, scored twice in the match against BK Hacken, with goals in each half. Isaac Kiese Thelin, a former Anderlecht and Leverkusen player, as well as Norway international Erik Botheim, also found the back of the net. Malmo will be hosting Rangers in their Europa League opener after dropping down from the Champions League play-off round, where they suffered a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Sparta Prague.
In preparation for the upcoming match, head coach Henrik Rydstrom made six changes to the team that drew 0-0 with GAIS. Players like Johan Dahlin, Colin Rösler, Sergio Peña, Christiansen, Hugo Bolin, and Kiese Thelin were brought into the starting lineup. Malmo has a good track record against Rangers, having not lost to them in their previous four meetings. They even beat Rangers in a Champions League qualifier back in 2011/12.
Most recently, Malmo defeated Rangers 2-1 in both legs of a Champions League qualifying match. Antonio Colak, who scored both goals for Malmo in the win at Ibrox, impressed Rangers so much that they signed him from PAOK for £1.8 million a year later. This history between the two teams adds an extra layer of intrigue to their upcoming Europa League clash.
Overall, Malmo’s recent form and past success against Rangers make them a formidable opponent in the upcoming match. Rangers will need to be at their best if they want to secure a positive result against the Swedish side. Fans of both teams will surely be eagerly anticipating this exciting Europa League showdown.
