Ostersunds v Djurgarden - Allsvenskan

Ostersunds will host Djurgarden at Jamtkraft Arena this Monday, September 30 in what promises to be an exciting fixture with both teams desperate for points. Ostersunds are barely two points clear of the relegation zone, whereas Djurgarden race an extremely tight title race with Malmo, who, rose to the top of the league following their 1:0 win over AFC Eskilstuna.

Ostersunds hoping to end their six-game losing streak

It's hard to be too positive about Ostersunds and their performances so far into the season. With a 4-9-12 record to their name and a very underwhelming 0-0-6 run in the last six games, it should not come off as a surprise Burchnall's men are currently fighting for survival at the bottom of the league. It's also worth noting Ostersunds did not win a single match in the last 19 games, which basically sums up over 3/4 of their 2019 season. It still boggles my mind how Burchnall managed to keep his job, but that's not really relevant now.

It's obvious the team is struggling and should they not find it in them to produce something in the remaining five games of the season, I would not be surprised if Ostersunds ends up relegated. Especially considering Sundsvall seem to have found their rhythm and won two fixtures in a row, meaning there is only two points separating Ostersunds from the relegation zone. With that in mind, Ostersunds are desperate to win something here, which considering the quality of the opponents they will face might be easier said than done.

Djurgarden making a final push for the title

Unlike Ostersunds, who are doing their best to keep their boat afloat, Djurgarden found themselves on the other side of the spectrum, seeing how they are on the verge of claiming their seventh Allsvenskan title and the first title in 14 years. While extremely close to that feat, Djurgarden still have five more rounds to push through during which there will be no room for mistake, considering both AIK and Malmo are strong contenders to snatch the title from them.

As it stands now, Djurgarden are trailing Malmo due to GD. That being said, Djurgarden still have one more game in hand, meaning a win or even a draw here would push them above Malmo and back to the top of the league. While it's easy to be positive about Djurgarden and their chances to win the league, considering they have a fairly easy schedule ahead of them, Blåränderna still need to avoid any upset losses, if they are serious about claiming their first championship since 2005. While we talk about upset losses, Djurgarden lost to AIK 0:1 at the start of September, which made many believe their bubble had burst. But since they managed to bounce back with three consecutive wins against Helsingborg (2:0), Sundsvall (4:1) and Falkenbergs (1:0), returning some faith in Djurgarden and their chance to win the title. It's also worth noting the AIK defeat was Djurgarden's first defeat in last 17 matches, 14 of which ended in a win for Bergstrand and his men.

Verdict & Prediction

Ostersunds and Djurgarden already met once before this season, when it was Djurgarden who claimed a convincing 3:1 win. At this point it's also worth noting Djurgarden won against Ostersunds at Jamtkraft Arena (1:0) last season. For Monday's fixture, hosts will be weakened as they will be without two regular players, whereas the visitors will only miss Berg.

Djurgarden are heavy favourites to win here and we can't argue with this logic, seeing how the Stockholm's outfit are known to be very consistent when it comes to playing against lower opposition. Their consistency in defeating teams that are objectively worse than them is one of the main reasons why Djurgarden are on the verge of claiming a league title. There is no doubt in our minds the visiting side are far superior here, and considering they have conceded only six goals in away games so far, it would be hard to imagine Ostersunds even coming close to scoring against them. All things considered, this will be a must-win for Djurgarden, who we don't believe will hold back, meaning we could see them winning with at least two goals to spare.

Prediction: Djurgarden -1.00 Asian Handicap
Odds: 2.13 Dafabet, 2.11 Pinnacle