Viktoria Plzen vs Malmo Prediction for 3 October 2025 - Football

📌 Can Viktoria Plzeň capitalize on their home advantage and secure their first three points against Malmö at the Doosan Arena in the second round of the Europa League? Both teams are far from their peak form and have been showing inconsistent results in their domestic leagues, making this upcoming match a great opportunity to redeem themselves in front of their fans. Both the Czechs and the Swedes are in dire need of points, promising a tense and unpredictable game.

Head-to-Head

📊 Viktoria and Malmo have never faced each other in official competitions before, making the upcoming match their first-ever head-to-head encounter.

Viktoria Plzen Team Overview

🔴 Viktoria Plzeň, the Czech powerhouse, finished as runners-up in the national league last season. However, their new campaign hasn't kicked off as planned: the club failed to secure a spot in the Champions League, losing out to Rangers (2-4) in the qualifiers, a team that is also struggling for form. In the Czech First League, things aren't much better – after 10 rounds, the "Red and Blues" sit only fifth in the table with just 15 points. Last weekend, Viktoria suffered a surprising home defeat to Zlín (0-1), despite being clear favorites and having a chance to equalize in the first half from a penalty, which they failed to convert.

🔵 As for the Europa League, Viktoria managed to snatch a point away against Ferencváros (1-1) in their opening match. On one hand, it's a decent result considering the opponent's caliber; on the other hand, it's disappointing. The Plzeň side took the lead as early as the 16th minute and gained a numerical advantage in the 38th minute, yet couldn't hold onto their lead – the Hungarians, even with ten men, looked sharper and deservedly equalized late in the game.

Malmo Team Overview

🔵 Over the past 12 years, Malmö have firmly established themselves as Sweden's leading team. Since 2013, they have only missed out on the national championship four times. Last year, the Sky Blues clinched the title with ease, amassing 65 points and finishing 11 points clear of their nearest rival.

⚪ However, this season has been a struggle for them. With five rounds remaining in the championship (Sweden operates on a spring-to-autumn system), Malmö find themselves in fifth place and are already out of contention to defend their title. They also risk missing out on a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifiers for next season. In the last round, they narrowly edged out Värnamo at home (3-2), a team that sits at the bottom of the Allsvenskan table.

📌 It's no surprise that Malmö started their Europa League campaign with a defeat. In the first round, the Sky Blues hosted Ludogorets and were considered clear favorites. However, it was the Bulgarian club who took control of the game. By halftime, the hosts were down 0-2, and the final score of 1-2 doesn't truly reflect the match dynamics: based on xG (0.7 against 2.94), the Swedish side should have lost by a wider margin.

Latest news

Viktoria Plzen

📣 After the match against Zlín (0-1), Miroslav Koubek emphasized that he does not let external pressure affect his work: "I don't discuss anything, I stay focused on my job. There is always pressure—whether things are going well or not... The guys are fighting hard, today they worked like horses. But perhaps we need a bit less tension—if you don't score, nothing works out."

❌ However, on September 29, Miroslav Koubek was dismissed from his position as head coach. Marek Bakoš will lead the team on the field in the upcoming match.

🚫 Viktoria Plzeň have no injury concerns—all players are available to the coaching staff, allowing them to field their strongest lineup.

Malmo

📣 Interim head coach Anes Mravac admitted that the victory over Värnamo (3-2) held special significance both personally and for the club: "It's an extremely important win. Not just for me, but for the entire club. Every victory counts, but this one was particularly significant for me."

🚫 Malmö face a more challenging situation with several players sidelined. Arnór Sigurðsson is out with a thigh injury and won't return until mid-October. Erik Botheim is recovering from a broken leg and is expected back in early October. Goalkeeper Johan Dahlin is out due to a cruciate ligament injury and will also return by early October. 

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Viktoria have not impressed at the start of the season and continue to struggle with the same defensive issues they faced in the spring. They haven't managed to address this aspect over the summer break. This trend has persisted since the end of the last championship, with Viktoria conceding at least one goal in 18 of their last 20 official matches. In this context, even Malmö, who are dealing with their own set of problems, are quite capable of creating opportunities and finding chances in front of the opponent's goal. Our betting option is a Malmö goal.

🚩 Corner Prediction

In recent home matches, Viktoria have consistently shown aggressive play up front and have had no trouble earning corners, delivering at least six corners in their last five home games. In the upcoming clash, the hosts are likely to play from a position of strength, especially with the support of their fans, so there's every chance this streak will continue and the bar will be surpassed. We are betting on Viktoria's total over 5.5 corners.