Halmstad’s season is slipping away, and an away win has eluded them all year
Twelve away games, three draws, nine defeats, seven goals scored: that is Halmstad’s road record in the Allsvenskan this season. Stuart Baxter’s side are bottom with 14 points, six behind Degerfors in the play-off place with six rounds to go, and they head to Västerås after two more defeats. Västerås, sixth and still eyeing the European places, have won two home games in a row without conceding.
“Men kvalitén på den avgörande passningen var alldeles för dålig.” – Halmstad manager Stuart Baxter after the 1-0 defeat to Hammarby (“But the quality of the final pass was far too poor.”)
Predicted lineups: Västerås vs Halmstad
Neither side has reported new injuries or suspensions. Five Västerås players are one booking from a ban, so Alexander Rubin may have to manage his midfield carefully, but I expect him to name the side that beat Mjällby. Halmstad should also be largely unchanged after defending well for 90 minutes against Hammarby. The game is played on artificial turf. Both XIs are my best estimate.
Västerås Team News & Preview
Västerås beat Mjällby 1-0 on Sunday through Axel Taonsa’s ninth league goal of the season, and Anton Fagerström marked his 200th game for the club with the team’s eighth clean sheet. Mjällby had an equaliser ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper, so it was not a comfortable afternoon. It came after a 1-0 defeat at IFK Göteborg, but before that Västerås had won 4-1 at AIK and beaten Malmö 2-0 at home.
The side is four points off fourth place, so there is still something to play for. Västerås are not dominant, with 47% possession on average, but they have scored 35 goals and have two players, Taonsa and Mikkel Ladefoged, on nine league goals each.
What works for or against Västerås
- Two home wins in a row without conceding.
- Taonsa and Ladefoged have nine league goals each.
- Five players are one booking away from a suspension.
- Conceded 36 goals, as many as they have scored.
Halmstad Team News & Preview
The 1-0 defeat to Hammarby summed up Halmstad’s problems. They defended well for most of the game, but Noah Persson scored in stoppage time after goalkeeper Tim Rönning could not hold a shot. A week earlier they were beaten 4-0 at Elfsborg, and their only win in the last five came at home against AIK.
Goals are the issue: 16 in 24 league games, 0.7 per match, and only seven of them away from home. Baxter, who took over in May, has not been able to fix the attack, and Swedish pundit Pär Hansson already expects them to go down. Rocco Ascone and Omar Faraj, with four goals each, are the only real threats.
What works for or against Halmstad
- No away win this season: three draws and nine defeats.
- Only 16 goals in 24 league games.
- Bottom of the table, six points from the play-off place.
- Defended well for long spells against Hammarby.
Västerås vs Halmstad Odds
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Västeras vs. Halmstad Stats Comparison
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Västeras vs. Halmstad Form Guide
Västeras Form, Stats & Data
Västerås have scored more than their chances suggest, with 1.46 goals from 1.25 xG per game. Their xG against is on the high side, which is why their goal difference is level rather than positive.
Halmstad Form, Stats & Data
Halmstad allow more than two expected goals per game, the clearest sign of a team that spends long spells defending. Even their modest xG of 1.03 per game has produced only two-thirds of a goal per match.
Västerås vs Halmstad: Prediction & Betting Tip
I expect Västerås to win. Halmstad have not won away from home all season, they score less than a goal a game, and they arrive after two more defeats. Västerås have been solid at home in recent weeks and still have the European places to aim for.
The argument against is that Halmstad, with nothing to lose, defended well against Hammarby and could make this a low-scoring, nervy game, while Västerås‘ own defence has conceded plenty over the season. I still think the gap in attacking quality decides it.
My pick is Västerås SK to win at 1.65 with Winz; I am going for 2-0.