Norrkoping take on the visitors Varnamo in the round 16 match of Swedish Allsvenskan. The match will be played on Monday, July 21st at Platinumcars Arena (Norrköping).
Norrköping have won multiple Swedish titles and domestic cups over the years. Their most recent league triumph came in 2015, but things have gone downhill since then. Last season, they failed to even break into the top 10, finishing 11th with just 34 points. The new campaign began on a positive note, with a few early wins, but those have become increasingly rare, and the relegation zone is now dangerously close. Since late May, their only point came in a draw against Djurgården, while they suffered losses to their three other most recent opponents — including a 1–3 home defeat to Malmö last weekend. The defense has looked especially shaky, conceding 11 goals across those four matches, and confidence within the squad appears to be dropping.
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Värnamo are hoping for another miracle escape. The Blue and Whites earned promotion to the Allsvenskan in 2021, and even finished in the top five during their second season at this level. But last year brought a sharp decline, as they only finished one point above relegated Kalmar, with 31 points to their name. That left them in 14th place and forced them into the playoffs, where they rescued a late 2–2 draw away to Landskrona before narrowly winning the return leg at home. It seemed, however, that this merely postponed their inevitable drop to the Superettan. The current season started in disastrous fashion — 10 defeats and no wins in their first 14 matches. But they finally broke the drought last round, pulling off a dramatic 94th-minute win over Djurgården, despite being second-best for most of the game. Whether that sparks a turnaround remains to be seen, but the morale boost is undeniable.
Peking have won both of the last two official matches between these sides. This is a classic relegation battle where a win is absolutely vital. We'll take the risk and back the hosts to claim all three points.
Prediction for the match: Norrkoping to win.
