Second-bottom Kalmar host Europe-chasing Hammarby at Guldfageln Arena in Sunday's gameweek 17 action in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
The home side could leave the danger spots with a victory if results elsewhere go in their favour, while their opponents could move into the coveted continental positions this weekend.
Match preview
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Three defeats in five have undermined Kalmar's ambition to move away from danger, with the recent loss their 10th in 16 league matches.
The last reverse came in a relegation six-pointer at Norrkoping, with the 2-0 defeat seeing Henrik Jensen's men leapfrogged by the victors, leaving the pride of Smaland second-bottom.
No club has lost more games than Kalmar (10, joint-high with bottom Vasteras) at this point of the season, and only Norrkoping's 37 goals conceded exceeds the 15th-placed side's 33.
They are clear underdogs heading into round 17's match-up with Hammarby, despite recently ending a three-game winless home sequence (two losses) by beating Djurgarden 2-1 on July 20.
That success was the team's second in eight attempts, with five home losses also the most of any top-flight team in the competition.
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Hammarby seek to continue Kalmar's dispiriting season by inflicting the host team's 11th league loss and sixth on home soil to boost their ambition of ending in the division's top three, guaranteeing qualification for the 2025-26 Conference League second qualifying round.
Bajen are one point shy of third-placed Mjallby having played one game fewer, and they could leapfrog the side in third this weekend.
Kim Hellberg's men have recovered from losing 3-0 to the side they are chasing in the middle of May, as underlined by notching seven of the next available nine on the road.
Further encouraging about that run is Hammarby's five goals scored and none conceded — 3-0 win over Djurgarden, goalless encounter at GAIS and 2-0 win over Brommapojkarna — showcasing the defensive solidity required in road games.
Having seen Mjallby lose two league games in succession, Bajen seek a victory and hope for another slip by the third-placed side to leapfrog their rivals for a continental place.
Team News
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Robert Gojani and Lars Saetra were booked in Kalmar's last league match against Norrkoping, and the pair will serve a one-match suspension against the fourth-placed visitors.
Rony Jansson (broken collarbone) and Carl Gustafsson (thigh) are not expected to play any part for the remainder of the term after sustaining season-ending layoffs.
Mads Fenger is the away side's only reported injury absentee, with the defender's muscle issue sidelining him this weekend.
Nahir Besara and Bazoumana Toure have netted four of Hammarby's last five away goals, scoring two each, and they could be pivotal in the visiting side's attack along with centre-forward Jusef Erabi.
Kalmar possible starting lineup:
Brolin; Hallberg, Sjostedt, Osuji, Karlsson; Sipiao, Magashy, Ring; Svensson, Islamovic, Trenkow
Hammarby possible starting lineup:
Hahn; Skoglund, Fofana, Eriksson, Pinas; Karlsson, Tekie; Johansson, Besara, Toure; Erabi
We say: Kalmar 0-2 Hammarby
Hammarby's resounding response to losing away at Mjallby has been admirable, and we are backing the fourth-placed side to keep that run going against the second-bottom Kalmar, who have lost a joint-high five matches on their turf this season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
