For Malmö, as well as for a number of other European clubs, the new format of continental tournaments is a real "gift". If under the previous system the second part of the European season started in the third decade of February, now it starts a month earlier - in the third decade of January. The Swedish championship is played under the "spring-autumn" system. The last Allsvenskan match the Sky Blue played on 10 November 2024, the last match on the national arena - 1 December 2024, and the last official meeting took place in mid-December, when Galatasaray came to visit the Swedes in the Europa League. In other words, for about a month and a half, the Swedish champion has not had an opponent who is maximised on winning, rather than maintaining game form. Malmo spent its preparatory phase for the upcoming matches on Spanish soil. In addition to training loads, the Sky Blue played two friendly matches. The Swedes lost 1:3 to Sparta Prague, while Slov Slovan Liberec were beaten 1:0. Twente, unlike their opponents, had only a three-week winter break, after which they have already played three official matches of the Dutch national cup and championship. Bookmakers have identified the visitors as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 2.51 on their victory.

Last year Malmo finished the season in the Swedish championship in first place, winning the hundredth, jubilee Allsvenskan. The Europa League, however, was a real test for the Sky Blue. Out of six matches played, Malmo won only one, when they faced Karabakh. Last round, the team picked up its fourth and last point so far, scoring an equaliser against Galatasaray - 2:2.

Twente, unlike their upcoming opponents, have lost only two Europa League games out of six, but have not won a single one either. The Dutch club has drawn with Olympiacos, Nice, Fenerbahce and Manchester United. The last team took away points at Old Trafford. Twente are currently in fifth place in the league, two points behind Feyenoord and six points behind the Champions League zone. The class of the visitors is certainly higher than that of the Swedish team, so expect Twente's first win in the Europa League.