HJK Helsinki vs Malmo FF Predictions

BETTING TIP – UNDER 2.5 GOALS

CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION – 1-1 DRAW

• HJK have won four of their last five Champions League home ties.
• There have been fewer than three goals in seven of Malmo FF’s last eight European games.
• Malmo have scored more than once in only one of their last seven European games.

Malmo to squeeze through in Finland

HJK go into Tuesday’s Champions League second qualifying round second leg with a chance to upset Swedish giants Malmo.

The Helsinki side competed well in the first encounter to return to Finland only 2-1 down and the potential to progress is there is they raise their game.

Although top of the Allsvenskan, Malmö have not been totally convincing this season and they were leaking too many goals until a run of three domestic clean sheets.

They scraped past Riga in the previous round without much to spare and it may take another grinding performance away from home to make this tie safe.

Head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson rested some key players – including Malmo’s two biggest goal threats – at the weekend and saw his side won 2-0 on their travels so they are in good shape for the rematch.

HJK have beaten some decent sides at home in Europe of late but we can’t escape the feeling that they are short of the attacking quality needed to turn this tie around.

Malmo’s recent improvement in defence leads us to conclude that this match should feature few goals and that Under 2.5 goals would be a good bet.

The Swedes have been fairly tight on the European stage in recent seasons and the first leg was the first time in seven games that they had managed to score more than once.

Our correct score prediction of 1-1 is based on the similarities between HJK and Malmo’s last Champions League opponents Riga and the state of the two ties going into their respective second legs.