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The final game of the season will determine the winner of the Allsvenskan title as Malmo and Elfsborg, only three points apart, face off against each other.
Swedish media has nicknamed it “the ultimate match”. Malmo will have a larger number of security guards present than at any previous game in the club’s history. Elfsborg supporters will be confined to one section of Stadion Malmo, in order to prevent any potential celebrations or outbursts from affecting the game on the field.
The team from Malmo may not have expected to still be in the running, as they lost 4-2 to third-place Hacken in their previous match. However, their opponents, Elfsborg, were unable to secure a win against relegation-threatened Degerfors, despite scoring a last-minute equaliser. This resulted in a tense final match for both teams.
Malmo and Elfsborg are wildly contrasting clubs. While Elfsborg hail from a small town, Malmo is Sweden’s third city, the literal and metaphorical birthplace of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and its football team is the most successful in the country’s history with 22 league titles.
Their style of play is unique in Swedish football, and eight or nine players can often be found filling the same side of the pitch to progress the ball upfield, or to quickly win it back in hunting packs. They play with a positional freedom that looks off the cuff, but contains patterns of passing and movement drilled on the training pitch by the innovative Rydstrom.
Rydstrom is a unique figure in the world of football, possessing a master’s degree in literary studies and a background in writing music critiques for magazines. He is recognized for his firm socialist beliefs and his bold statements have sparked backlash from conservative politicians. The coach has been characterized in Swedish media as “meticulous, systematic, and refined” in his tactics, and he goes as far as assigning players tactical assignments.
The coach expects complete control of the ball – Malmo has an average possession of 64.8% this season, well ahead of other teams and even higher than Manchester City in the Premier League (63.2%). However, he does not follow the teachings of Pep Guardiola. Rydstrom’s approach has been compared to the fluid style of Brazilian football played by Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz, who recently led his team to victory in the Copa Libertadores. His “anti-positional” tactics, known as Dinizismo, are quite different from Guardiola’s more structured and popular style in Europe.
Fernando Diniz has been appointed as the new coach of the Brazilian team.
Elfsborg are a more typical Swedish team, defensively stable, with the most clean sheets this season. They don’t sit deep, but possession is not of high importance to head coach Jimmy Thelin, whose team are dogged and difficult to play against. Elfsborg have committed more fouls than any other side in the league.
However, there are no rewards for appearance, as highlighted by the Swedish newspaper Expressen this week. In his article, Noah Bachner emphasizes that style only matters if it leads to success. Losses can be forgotten if they do not impact the final standings. Ultimately, only one thing holds significance – winning the trophy. While statistics such as short passes, shots taken, and Swedish Krona per point may be brought up, criticism of Elfsborg’s playing style is irrelevant. The only thing that truly matters is lifting the trophy.
Elfsborg are based in a town called Boras, not far from Gothenburg (the name Elfsborg refers to the region). They have won six Swedish titles in their 120-year history, the most recent in 2012, and their home ground is nicknamed ‘Elfsborg Fortress’ – a riff on an actual fortification off the coast of Gothenburg – in appreciation of what a notoriously hard place Boras is to go and win.
What plays in Elfsborg’s favour is that Malmo have consistently been found wanting in the biggest moments under Rydstrom. “If you want to take charge of the title race, which Malmo had and lost several times, you have to take points from the teams you’re fighting against,” writes Bachner.
Malmo has been struggling against their main competitors Djurgarden, Hacken, and Elfsborg this season, failing to win any of their five matches against them. Elfsborg, in particular, dominated Malmo with a victory at their home ground in May. Despite having 73% possession and taking 19 shots, Malmo was unable to score any goals. On the other hand, Elfsborg committed 26 fouls and managed to score three goals.
Rydstrom’s standing as a coach who offers more than just aesthetically pleasing strategies hinges on the outcome of this game. Bachner asserts, “I believe Rydstrom is the perfect fit for Malmo, regardless of the result on Sunday.” However, Bachner also believes that a loss for Malmo would lead to Rydstrom being labeled as something other than a successful coach. Another missed chance, similar to last Sunday’s failure, would require a significant amount of time to overcome.
However, this time Malmo has the advantage of playing at home. Elfsborg does not have a strong defense to protect. As the away team, they must journey 150 miles south to face their opponent in a difficult situation in order to obtain the prize that they narrowly missed out on last weekend. For Elfsborg, earning one point will suffice. On the other hand, Malmo must secure a victory. This is the moment of truth for both teams.
The match between Malmo and Elfsborg will start at 2pm on Sunday, November 12th.
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