Malmo FF will be looking to take a big lead in the opening leg of their Champions League tie against HJK Helsinki. This is the second qualifying round, and there are two more to go before the group rounds begin. Malmo FF hasn't been this close since the 2015/16 season, when they allowed 21 goals in six games but only ended third in the head-to-head standings with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The low point of their group was an away 8-0 loss to Real Madrid. They have not competed in the Champions League since 2018, having been ousted in the Europa League play-off round the previous season. In the first qualifying round, they defeated Riga 2-1 on aggregate, with Antonio Colak scoring both goals.
He also scored in their most recent game, a 5-0 victory against Defergurs, which maintained them atop the Swedish Allsvenskan. Malmo has not lost any of their previous four home Champions League games, and they are unbeaten in 25 Allsvenskan games.
In 23 years, HJK has not competed in the Champions League group stages. They haven't qualified for the Europa League group stages in seven years. They had an easy first qualifying round tie against Buducnost, winning 7-1 on aggregate. HJK leads the Finnish Veikkausliga with five points after 12 games.
Before losing 2-1 at Oulu on Saturday, the team had won nine consecutive league games. Before the triumph in Montenegro, the team had gone three away Champions League games without a win. Malmo is a difficult team to beat at home, and they have a chance to win here.
Malmo has suffered in recent years despite being a past European Cup finalist. They have a significant home advantage and are performing well in their domestic competition. Their opponents suffered a defeat over the weekend and will find the journey to Malmo much more difficult than their previous victory in Montenegro. This match should be won by Malmo or Draw
