2. Djurgarden
(11) v Gefle (12)
Hosts and
guests with too much in common
TEAM NEWS
The home side is one position ahead the visitors due to one
goal more scored in the league. Apart from that Djurgarden
and Gefle have had a similar season so far: only four
victories in 13 games and 15 conceded goals.
Djurgarden will not count with defender Kebba
Ceesay who picked the third yellow card in the 2-0
away defeat to Halmstad. The hosts will be at least
hoping their fans will back them up in the last match before the World Cup
break. Djurgarden need all kind of extra support with
their players underachieving right now.
If the 0-0 home draw with IFK Goteborg
last match left anyone happy at Gefle it was
37-year-old striker Hasse Berggren
back in action after ten months recovering from injury. He will be an important
addition to a side in which striker Alexander Gerndt
scored eight of Gefle's 12 goals in the season.
Djurgarden
Suspended: Kebba Ceesay (1 game)
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Daniel Sjolund
(heel)
Gefle
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Oyvind Gram
(groin) and Jonathan Hellstrom (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
Djurgarden assistant manager Carlos Banda says
he hopes for a good performance against Gefle since
he cannot think of a worse match than the 2-0 defeat to Second Division side Ljungskile that sent Djurgarden
out of the Swedish Cup during the week. “I totally understand the supporters'
frustration. I cannot remember any performance poorer than that. We did not
behave as a First Division team and we make all sorts of mistakes that cannot
be repeated,” says Banda.
Gefle manager Pelle
Olsson hopes to see his team repeating at least one thing from the 0-0 with Djurgarden. “We did not allow them any goal chances and our
defense was very solid. It is something we all want to see again. But we need
to take the best of our opportunities too. We want three points,” says Olsson.
The two sides are very close
this season in their standings and actual strength, so the match is likely to end in a
draw.
HEAD TO HEAD
Djurgarden have a clear advantage in the last
ten clashes with Gefle: seven wins, one draw and two
defeats. But Gefle are unbeaten in the two last games
having won 2-0 at home and drawn 0-0 in