Jens Gustafsson must overcome a one-goal deficit when his "Hacken" side hosts "Anderlecht" in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League qualification tie on Thursday. The Swedish team will welcome the Belgian visitors to Bravida Arena in Gothenburg, looking to reverse the 1-0 scoreline from the first match in Brussels.
Hacken's recent form doesn't inspire much confidence, with the team recording three wins, three losses, and two draws in their eight official matches during June and July. This inconsistency has left them mid-table in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
"We need to show much more attacking intent than we did in Belgium," a determined Gustafsson might say ahead of this crucial fixture.
The first leg statistics tell a concerning story for the Swedish side. Hacken failed to register a single shot on target, while their opponents managed four. Possession statistics also favored the Belgian side at 56% to 44%, with "Anderlecht" also leading in total shots (11-6) and corner kicks (6-5).
Interestingly, the slim defeat in Brussels was largely thanks to Albanian goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, whose crucial saves prevented a more substantial loss for the Swedish team.
Besnik Hasi's "Anderlecht" squad comes into this match with more competitive minutes under their belt, having just started their domestic season with a fixture against Westerlo. This additional match sharpness could prove decisive as the team looks to secure progression to the next round.
One question mark for the visitors concerns Kasper Dolberg, who scored the decisive goal in the first leg but was substituted in the 62nd minute due to injury. Without the 26-year-old Danish striker, "Anderlecht" may need to rely on less experienced forwards like Luis Vasquez, Tristan Degreef, or Jari Verschaeren at the spearhead of their attack.
Bookmakers clearly favor the Belgian side in this fixture, offering odds of 2.07 for an "Anderlecht" win in regulation time compared to 3.35 for a "Hacken" victory. The Swedish team faces even longer odds of 5.30 to advance to the next round.
Can Gustafsson's men find the attacking spark that was completely absent in Belgium? Thursday's clash will provide the answer.
