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Mjallby AIF will welcome RB Salzburg to Sweden on Thursday as they begin their battle for a place in the Europa League league phase.
The two sides meet in the playoff round, the final stage of qualifying, after the hosts fell short in the running for a Champions League place and the visitors beat Pafos in the previous round.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Mjallby AIF vs. RB Salzburg key stats
- Mjallby AIF's league victory at the weekend ended a five-match winless streak.
- Mjallby AIF scored four goals in four Champions League qualifying games before their elimination.
- The hosts have won just one of their last nine league matches in their Swedish Allsvenskan title defence.
- RB Salzburg have won four and drawn two of their six competitive matches under new manager Danny Rohl.
Mjallby AIF vs. RB Salzburg preview: RB Salzburg to gain advantage and continue unbeaten start under Rohl?
Mjallby AIF vs. RB Salzburg — Tale of the Tape
| Mjallby AIF | vs | RB Salzburg |
|---|---|---|
| 11th (Swedish Allsvenskan) | Position | 3rd (Austrian Bundesliga) |
| 20 | Points | 7 |
| 24 | Goals For | 5 |
| 23 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 4 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 10th | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
Mjallby AIF head into their first game of Europa League qualifying on Thursday with the hopes of winning the two-legged tie to book their spot in the league phase.
They kicked off their continental bid in Champions League qualifying after a memorable 2025 season, winning the Swedish Allsvenskan for the first time in their history in style, finishing on 75 points from their 30 games – 13 clear of second place having only suffered one defeat.
That began a first-ever European campaign for Karl Marius Aksum's team, who entered in the second round of qualifying for Europe's top competition and saw off Lincoln Red Imps in a 3-0 aggregate triumph, only to fall short against Slovan Bratislava in the third round, losing 2-1 at home and 2-0 away.
The latter of those continued a five-game winless streak including four losses across all competitions, but the defending champions were able to bounce back in the Allsvenskan at the weekend, coming from 3-0 down to beat Sirius 4-3 with Ollie Lindberg and Jacob Bergstrom netting second-half braces, albeit with Aksum's men still sat 11th on 20 points from 16 matches in a tough defence.
With encouragement to take from that comeback, but with concerns around their recent displays, particularly in defence, Mjallby AIF will hope to make the most of their debut European campaign and take a step towards the league phase of the continent's secondary competition with a home win on Thursday.
In their way stand a visiting team unbeaten in competitive action this season and with their own sights set on the league phase.
A third-placed Austrian Bundesliga finish last time around, extending their wait for a first title since 2023 and an 18th in their history, earned RB Salzburg entry into Europa League qualifying in the third round, having reached the league phase of the same competition last year and finished 31st.
They took their first step against Pafos and scraped through, winning 1-0 at home through Haris Tabakovic and drawing 3-3 in the away leg from 2-0 down as Tabakovic netted a crucial second-half hat-trick.
A trip to WSG Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga then followed at the weekend, and Danny Rohl's men continued an unbeaten start to the season and his tenure, as Karim Konate, Frans Kratzig and Sora Kitano found the net.
Now with one tie between them and another appearance in the league phase with the hopes on improving on last year's exit, RB Salzburg head to Sweden for the first leg in search of a victory before the important second leg on home soil next week.
Mjallby AIF vs. RB Salzburg form guide & betting tips
| Mjallby AIF | vs | RB Salzburg |
|---|---|---|
DLLLW |
Form | WWDDW |
| 5 | Goals For | 9 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 4 |
N/A |
Europa League qualifying | WD |
Whispers predicts: Mjallby AIF 0-2 RB Salzburg
Despite dropping into Europa League qualifying from Champions League qualifying, Mjallby AIF may face their toughest test in this playoff tie, with the Austrian side boasting plenty of quality and an unbeaten record under their new manager. We back RB Salzburg to overcome the Swedish side's home advantage and win on the night at 7/10 (1.70).
Haris Tabakovic has been RB Salzburg's star of European qualifying so far since his summer arrival, scoring all four goals in their third-round tie, and as their focal point it is tough to look past the Bosnian international getting on the scoresheet again if they have the better of the action. We fancy the larger price of him to be first goalscorer at 15/4 (4.75).
RB Salzburg won 13 corners in their first leg against Pafos in the previous round, and as they again set to assert their dominance on the playoff, we see them pushing again and producing another high count. Over 9.5 total corners is priced at 5/6 (1.83).
> RB Salzburg to win at 7/10 (1.70) | Likelihood: Probable
> Haris Tabakovic first goalscorer at 15/4 (4.75) | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 9.5 corners at 6/5 (1.83) | Likelihood: Probable