Elfsborg vs Nice prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – League phase betting tips on match 2025-01-22 20:00.
[p]Elfsborg have had a busy off-season, reportedly declining several transfer offers, while manager Oscar Hiljemark has had to fight off suggestions there are several unhappy players at the club because of his team selections and worst league finish in five years. The club has completed a training camp in Spain since, and can now focus on improving their precarious UEFA Europa League (UEL) position. [/p]
[p]They kept their hopes of advancing alive with a 1-0 win at home to Qarabağ on matchday six, retaining an unbeaten home record during this league phase that earned all seven of their points so far. Their fate therefore appears to hinge on this meeting at home to Nice, which will see them play for points against a French club for the first time in nearly 50 years. [/p]
[p]Nice’s most recent UEL outing was also on the road, where they suffered a 2-1 loss to Royale Union SG, conceding the winning goal in stoppage time. They bounced back with a five-game unbeaten run domestically (W4, D1), but are heading to Sweden off the back of a 2-1 loss away to Lille which ended that streak. [/p]
[p]That means that Nice have won just two of their last 11 away games against top-flight opposition (D3, L6), with that sequence including three UEL road losses. They have no choice but to win both remaining fixtures to have any chance of sneaking into the top-24, and even then it wouldn’t be remotely likely given the five-point deficit they have to erase in two rounds. [/p]
[p]Key battle: Three of Ahmed Qasem’s last four goals were in the UEL, with those helping him secure Flashscore Player of the Match awards against both Qarabağ and Molde. Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bułka made the Flashscore Team of the Round for the previous matchday with a match rating of 8.0, keeping Royale Union to two goals despite them accumulating 3.78xG – he is now 12 games for club or country without a clean sheet. [/p]
[p]Hot streak: Nice conceded the opening goal in all six of their UEL matches this term. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]