Västerås, the newly promoted team in the top division, has experienced defeat in four out of their five matches played so far. On the other hand, Hammarby boasts a 100% win record at Tele2 Arena, leading me to predict a home victory in Sweden.
Hammarby has emerged victorious in their last two home games, while Västerås has suffered defeat without scoring in four out of their last five matches. In head-to-head statistics, Hammarby holds a 3-1 advantage over Västerås with one draw in five meetings. Their most recent encounter took place in February, resulting in a 2-1 triumph for Västerås.
Concerning Hammarby's recent performances, they faced a setback in the 2024 Allsvenskan campaign with another disappointing loss to Halmstad with a scoreline of 2-1. Despite statistical advantages in their favor, including expected goals of 1.91-1.14 and 13-8 shots, Hammarby succumbed to consecutive defeats, having lost to Häcken 2-1 earlier. Notably, their lone goal in the Halmstad match came from Tesfaldet Tekie during stoppage time. The team had previously secured a 3-0 victory at home against Elfsborg in the third round but currently occupies the 11th spot in the Allsvenskan standings, having accumulated six points from five games.
Meanwhile, Västerås, the reigning Superettan champions, started their 2024 Allsvenskan journey slowly, acquiring just three points from their initial five fixtures. Following a string of four successive defeats, they returned to winning ways during midweek action, overcoming Mjällby 2-1 at home.
Henry Offia netted an equalizer in the first half, paving the way for Ibrahim Diabate's decisive goal in the 76th minute to secure their first victory of the season. Their struggles in the previous rounds saw them narrowly losing 1-0 to AIK, Elfsborg, Halmstad, and Malmö.
As for team news, Hammarby's Frederik Winther is recovering from a knee injury, while Västerås reports no injured or suspended players leading up to their upcoming match.
