GIF Sundsvall to beat struggling Elfsborg
At 4.30PM, UK time, on Sunday, Elfsborg will play GIF Sundsvall at Borås Arena in Sweden. Elfsborg will playing for survival in the Allsvenskan against a team that are enjoying the season of their lives. Jimmy Thelin's Elfsborg should be swept aside by Joel Cedergren's Sundsvall.
IF Elfsborg
The Borås based team are becoming known for all the wrong reasons. They started the season in terrible form, before showing some signs of life, before relapsing back in to hopelessness. I think Thelin has been largely to blame for not making the most out of the players at his disposal. Especially at home Elfsborg have been subpar this season. They have only won two home games this season; they also hold the league's worst away record.
Elfsborg have scored an average of 0.67 goals this season and have conceded 1.17. These figures are not worthy of an Allsvenskan team. If they do not start scoring some goals soon, the relegation zone will be beckoning. Things have become stale, with players who had shown some real promise, such as, Per Frick and Viktor Prodell, fading as the season has progressed. In the last match they lost to Häcken 0-3.
The only positive thing to be said about Elfsborg this season is that they haven't let in that many goals and have thus succeeded in claiming a couple of draws this season. Elfsborg will be missing some clear favourites against Sundsvall, not least Obasi, who was the one attacking player that showed any sign of form this season. Ellegaard and Olsson will not play.
- League position: 11th (out of 16)
GIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall are the most exciting team to follow this season. Manager Joel Cedergren believes in an attacking, creative style of football. He also has a talented set of players. Linus Hallenius has perhaps been the league's best player and Batanero one of the best midfielders. In fact, there are few positions where GIF lack quality, including between the sticks, where they have Eskelinen, a talented 22-year-old Swedish keeper.
GIF have one of the better away records this season, having scored an average of 1.92 goals and conceded an average of 1.42. GIF have in fact taken 10 points from the last five away games - in which they met Malmö FF and Östersunds FK. An other factor to take into account is how Sundsvall have performed against the lower-table sides; they thrashed Brommapojkarna, Trelleborg and Sirius. So why not Elfsborg? There have been rumours that Linus Hallenius may not be able to play, but I believe he will be deemed fit to start.
- League position: 7th
Betting Tips
I think this will be a match that suits GIF Sundsvall. They have been very strong away from home this season and are now in a rich vein of form. Their attacking, dominating style of play has worked well against weaker opposition already this season.
Elfsborg will have problems this weekend. They are one of the league's worst home teams and show no signs of bucking the trend. I will insure myself a little however, because, as poor as they've been, Elfsborg have dug in their heels a few times this season and pulled off seemingly unlikely draws. I will bet on GIF Sundsvall to win with a draw no bet at 10/13 with 888Sport.
