Djurgarden vs Ostersunds FK Predictions

It’s still relatively early days in the Swedish Allsvenskan season but Djurgarden are starting to put a bit of pressure on the sides at the top. They look capable of improving on last season’s 7th place finish and will be targeting a win here against an Ostersunds side that are languishing in mid-table.

Ostersunds finished a point and a place better off than Djurgarden last term, despite being rocked by the departure of long-serving boss Graham Potter halfway through the season. They have gone in a similar direction since then by appointing another Englishman in the shape of Ian Burchnall. At 36, he is still very much a coaching novice but his side’s performances have at least eased fears that Ostersunds might fall back badly, following on from their miracle rise under Potter.

Djurgarden meanwhile look to have stepped up a gear since last term. They come into this following back-to-back wins to nil over Falkenberg and Elfsborg. The latter was particularly impressive given they played 74 minutes with only 10 men. They have struggled for a bit of consistency at home overall though with only 4 wins from their last 13 in front of their own fans in the Allsvenskan.

That record makes it hard to see much value in them at very short odds to win this game. They’ve already been held at home by mid-table Norrkoping and struggling GIF Sundsvall this term and one of those two recent wins was against rock bottom Falkenberg, so it’s probably a bit premature to start talking about them as a side with the potential to clinch the title.

Ostersunds have been very poor in their last two matches, both of which ended in convincing defeats but they’d shown enough prior to that to suggest those results may just be blips. They began the campaign with just 1 defeat in 8 matches, that loss coming against title favourites Malmo. They will be desperate for a response here and on paper, there isn’t much to choose between these sides.

Backing Ostersunds +1.0 Asian Handicap could therefore be worth considering. Read our Asian Handicap Guide for more on this market.

They’d gladly take a point though given their last two results. 40% of their league games so far this term have ended level and with Djurgarden having been held to two home draws in slightly surprising circumstances already, backing a 1-1 Draw could be worth a punt in the Correct Score market.