Goal-shy Kalmar head to Stora Valla for a relegation-line six-pointer
Kalmar are Degerfors‘ visitors at Stora Valla on Monday, 19 October 2026, in the Monday fixture of Allsvenskan round 24. Kick-off is at 19:00 CEST. The sides are separated by a single point either side of the relegation play-off line: Henok Goitom’s Degerfors are 13th on 20 points, Toni Koskela’s Kalmar 14th on 19. Kalmar arrive on a run of five straight league defeats and have not scored in seven league games.
“There’ll be a lot of fighting and second balls.” – Kalmar manager Toni Koskela (translated)
Predicted lineups: Degerfors vs Kalmar
Degerfors have striker Karim Boutera back in the squad after he missed the last two games through international duty and a suspension, though Goitom would not say whether he starts. Kazper Karlsson, Juhani Pikkarainen and Alexander Hedén Lindskog remain injured. Kalmar are without Aboubacar Keita, Elion Imeri and Emeka Nnamani, while winger Marius Söderbäck has a calf problem and missed Friday’s training; 18-year-old Amara Camara is ready to replace him. New signing Kasper Paananen is in the squad for the first time. Both graphics show the sides‘ last starting XIs.
Degerfors Team News & Preview
Degerfors drew 1-1 at Mjällby last time out. Goitom admitted the first half belonged to the hosts, who hit the post and pumped crosses into the box, before Armann Taranis put Degerfors ahead from a worked free kick on 52 minutes. Mjällby levelled four minutes later after a poor clearance. Goitom has played down talk of a cup final, calling it a very important match, and says he does not put much weight on statistics and trends.
The numbers he dismisses are not flattering. Degerfors have scored 20 goals in 23 league games and average under a goal’s worth of xG per match. Stora Valla has still been their best weapon recently: two of their last three home games were 3-0 and 2-0 wins, with clean sheets, before a 1-0 defeat to Hammarby.
What works for or against Degerfors
- Two clean sheets in their last three home league games.
- 20 league goals in 23 games, one of the three lowest totals in the division.
- Karim Boutera is back in the squad.
- Outplayed in the first half at Mjällby last time out.
Kalmar Team News & Preview
Kalmar’s goal drought is not purely a lack of chances. In the 1-0 defeat at Malmö they hit the woodwork three times, had a goal ruled out for offside and were the more dangerous side for long spells before Otto Rosengren’s 72nd-minute winner. Koskela insisted afterwards that his team had again performed well and created plenty. Even so, a seventh straight blank is a seventh straight blank, and the confidence issue is obvious.
The away record is the bigger concern: no wins in 12 league games outside Kalmar and only two points from them. Those away games have also been tight affairs, with eight of the 12 finishing under 2.5 goals and the last four all producing two goals or fewer. Charles Sagoe Jr., their best-rated player on FotMob with three goals and eight assists, is the man Degerfors need to keep quiet.
What works for or against Kalmar
- Seven league games without a goal and five straight defeats.
- No away league win in 12 attempts.
- Hit the woodwork three times at Malmö and still create 1.32 xG per game.
- Marius Söderbäck is doubtful with a calf problem.
Degerfors vs Kalmar Odds
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Degerfors vs. Kalmar Stats Comparison
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Degerfors vs. Kalmar Form Guide
Degerfors Form, Stats & Data
Degerfors produce 0.94 xG and three shots on target per game, and their top scorer has only four league goals. That is a side that rarely runs up a score, even at home. Defensively they concede roughly what the chances against them suggest, so there is no sign of a goalkeeper papering over cracks or of bad luck inflating the goals against.
Kalmar Form, Stats & Data
Kalmar’s underlying numbers are better than their results. They create 1.32 xG per game but score 0.91, a gap that has grown during the seven-game drought. I would not read that simply as bad luck: finishing has been a problem for months, and a team low on confidence away from home tends to take fewer risks rather than more.
Degerfors vs Kalmar: Prediction & Betting Tip
This is a nervy fixture between two of the three lowest-scoring sides in the Allsvenskan, with a relegation play-off place hanging on it. Degerfors are short of attacking quality, Kalmar have not scored for seven games and have been tight away from home all season, and neither side can afford to open the game up. I expect a cagey contest with few clear chances, and I like Under 2.5 Goals at 1.72.
The obvious danger is Kalmar’s chance creation. They hit the woodwork three times at Malmö, and if the drought finally breaks early they could punish a Degerfors defence that concedes 1.52 goals per game. That is why the stake is modest. My main bet is Under 2.5 Goals at 1.72 with Winz. My correct-score pick is 1-0.