Winless champions AGF face a bottom-two scrap before their European bow
AGF welcome Sønderjyske to Ceres Park on Monday, 12 October 2026, in the final game of Superliga round ten. The reigning champions are 11th with five points from nine games and still looking for a first league win, while Sønderjyske sit bottom on goal difference with the same number of points. Kick-off is at 19:00, with Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen the referee.
“When we play Sønderjyske, we are the favourites, especially at home.” – AGF manager Jakob Poulsen
Predicted lineups: AGF vs Sønderjyske
AGF have a lengthy injury list: Kevin Yakob, Nicolai Poulsen, Gift Links, Tomas Kristjánsson and Eric Kahl are all out, and joint top scorer Callum McCowatt is a doubt after a head injury. Frederik Emmery is expected to be fit despite returning from international duty with a knock. Sønderjyske have no suspensions, with Velkov and Bjarnason both having served their bans, but Ebube Duru is injured and Mathias Olesen’s fitness after international duty is uncertain following his return from a long-term injury.
AGF Team News & Preview
The champions‘ title defence has gone badly wrong. AGF have five draws and four defeats from nine league games, including home draws with Brøndby, OB and Silkeborg and a 2-0 home defeat by Midtjylland. Their last league game summed the season up: two goals up at Horsens through Magnus Knudsen and McCowatt, they were pushed back for long spells and conceded twice in the last two minutes to draw 2-2. Poulsen admitted afterwards that the team had dropped far too deep and described the run as a crisis.
The international break gave him time to work on it, and a 6-1 cup win at Skjold and a friendly win over Vendsyssel will have helped morale. But the schedule is not kind. AGF go to Gent for their first Conference League league-phase game on Thursday and then host FC København, so the question of how hard Poulsen pushes his first-choice players on Monday is a real one. Knudsen, a key figure in midfield, is also one booking away from a suspension.
What works for or against AGF
- No league win in nine games and no home win in four.
- Conceded twice in the final minutes to draw 2-2 at Horsens after leading 2-0.
- 73 per cent of their league goals have come after half-time, so they tend to finish games strongly in attack.
- Tobias Bech has six goals in nine career games against Sønderjyske.
- A Conference League trip to Gent follows on Thursday.
Sønderjyske Team News & Preview
Fatah Abdirahman’s first season in charge has been hard going, with the worst defensive record in the league, 21 goals conceded in nine games. But Sønderjyske went into the break with something to build on: a 4-2 home win over Randers, their first league victory of the season, with De Rosario, Bjarnason, Mohamed Cherif and Seydi all on the scoresheet.
They have also been more competitive away from home than the results suggest. Of their four away league games, they lost 1-0 at OB, 3-2 at Brøndby and 3-1 at FC København, and drew 1-1 at Lyngby. Only one of those games was lost by more than a goal, and that was at FC København. Cherif, their top scorer with four goals and their highest-rated player on FotMob, gives them a genuine outlet on the counter.
What works for or against Sønderjyske
- Beat Randers 4-2 in their last league game.
- Three of their four away league games were either drawn or lost by one goal.
- 21 goals conceded in nine games, the most in the Superliga.
- Mohamed Cherif has four league goals and is their top-rated player.
- No suspensions, but Ebube Duru is injured.
AGF vs Sønderjyske Odds
Match Result
Double Chance
Handicap
Over/Under
Both Teams to Score
Half-Time/Full-Time
Aarhus vs. Sonderjyske Stats Comparison
Show Recent Results
Aarhus vs. Sonderjyske Form Guide
Aarhus Form, Stats & Data
AGF have the ball more than almost anyone in the league, with 56.1 per cent possession, but that control has not turned into wins. They score 1.22 goals per game and concede 1.89, a poor defensive return for a side with so much of the ball, and the late collapse at Horsens showed how vulnerable they become when they drop deep to protect a lead. With McCowatt doubtful, one of their two three-goal scorers may also be missing.
Sonderjyske Form, Stats & Data
Sønderjyske concede 2.33 goals per game, which is the main reason they are bottom. But they score 1.33 per game, more than AGF, and they have found the net in three of their four away league games. They are not a side that tends to get blown away; they are a side that keeps games open.
AGF vs Sønderjyske: Prediction & Betting Tip
AGF at 1.54 asks a lot of a team that has not won a league game all season, has drawn three of four at home and has a European away trip three days later. Sønderjyske are leaky, but they score goals, they have kept most of their away games close, and they come in with the confidence of a first win. The Asian Handicap gives me a lot of cover: Sønderjyske +1 wins on a draw or an away win, and I get my stake back if AGF win by exactly one goal.
The biggest risk is AGF’s quality finally showing. On paper they are the stronger side, they dominate the ball, and Sønderjyske’s defence has conceded three goals in two of their four away games. Tobias Bech’s record against them is also a warning. If AGF score early and Sønderjyske open up, a two-goal home win is very possible. But nothing in AGF’s season so far suggests they are ready to put a side away comfortably.
My selection is Sønderjyske +1 Asian Handicap at 1.84 with Winz, with 2-2 as my correct-score call.