Will Red Star score three points in southwestern Sweden?
Malmö FF picked up just one point from a possible 18 in the first six matchdays of the UEFA Europa League group stage. Six points behind 24th place, qualification for the knockout stages is now only theoretically possible, requiring maximum support and some adventurous calculations.
In fact, the Sky Blues could even be eliminated on Thursday evening if Malmö beat Red Star Belgrade at home, with coach Miguel Angel Ramirez, who signed on January 1, 2026, now set to make his competitive debut.
That home win for the Sky Blues is highly unlikely for a number of reasons. Not only have the southern Swedes won only one of their last 28 European competitive games in the main rounds of UEFA competitions (four draws, 23 defeats), but they have also not played a competitive match at national level outside the Europa League since November 9, as the Allsvenskan season continues to run parallel to the calendar year and is therefore in the winter break for virtually all teams not involved in European competition. Against this backdrop, we are betting on an away win for the Serbs. After all, Zvezda (meaning “the star”) has won its last three Europa League matches 1-0.
It should be noted that Serbia is also currently in its winter break, which is why Red Star Belgrade has not played a competitive match since December 20, 2025, but the Crveno-beli (English: the Red-Whites) are still a completely different caliber defensively. With only five goals conceded in six games in the EL league phase, Zvezda, currently in 17th place, has the fifth-best defense in the competition. However, the Serbs have also only scored five goals, while the Swedes have scored just three.
Malmö – Red Star Belgrade Head-to-head record
Head to head: 0 – 0 – 0
The two teams have never met in a competitive international match before. While this is Malmö FF’s first ever European match against a Serbian club, Red Star Belgrade are facing a Swedish club again exactly 68 years and 60 days after their last encounter. Back then, Zvezda beat IFK Norrköping 2–1 in November 1957.
Malmö – Red Star Belgrade Tip
Basically, our prediction for Malmö vs. Red Star Belgrade clearly favors the visitors, who recently recorded three minimalist 1-0 victories in a row against Lille, FCSB, and Sturm Graz and, in 17th place in the table, are in a good position to qualify for the playoffs.
Zvezda has also had problems scoring goals at times, but with only five goals conceded, they have the fifth-best defense in the competition, which could make all the difference in the far south of Sweden. The Himmelsblatt have conceded twelve goals and scored only three, and with only one point out of a possible 18, they are as good as eliminated.
Although both teams are coming out of the winter break and have not yet played a competitive game in 2026, we are predicting an away win for Crveno-beli, who are now visiting a team that has won only one of its last 28 games in the main rounds of UEFA competitions (four draws, 23 defeats).
