After the reigning Allsvenskan champions and current Allsvenskan runners-up defeated their nearest pursuer in the standings, Jurgården, there are hardly many football fans in Sweden who would question Malmo's ability to defend the title. The Sky Blue can now concentrate on the Europa League, treating the national championship as a training ground for their European endeavours. AIK is much more motivated for success in the standings. The team has already produced a brilliant winning streak that has brought them closer to the European Cup zone, and they don't seem to have any intention of stopping. For the match against the champion on the field in Solna, AIK will be the fifth team in the Allsvenskan, just three points behind third-placed Djurgården. The bookmakers have the visitors as favourites to win the match at odds of 2.09.

AIK is playing superbly right now, but its fans are used to the fact that their team's successes are extremely limited in time. For example, the capital team started the season with a five-match winless streak, which was followed by a period of six defeats in eight rounds. Now AIK has a streak of six consecutive wins (five in the championship, one in the cup), but this fact does not cause euphoria among the fans. In fact, the game against Malmo will be a real test for the home team to determine the level of their ambitions.

The summer months have been extremely busy for Malmo. "Sky Blue" simultaneously solved serious issues on the national and European arenas. If in the first case, the team made only minor misfires, then in the Champions League qualification gave slack at the most crucial moment. Having been rewarded with a Europa League qualification, Malmö defeated Djurgården (4-0) in the Allsvenskan second round and went on a two-week pause in club football. Malmö last defeated AIK in Solna in 2017, after which annual trips to the rival did not end with three points. The capital club has improved its defensive play, and will rely on it in Sunday's encounter. Fans are unlikely to see more than three goals here.