Three points: “Malmö FF exposed HBK’s major weakness”

HALMSTAD. Malmö FF is ready for the cup final after 4-0 away against Halmstads BK.
Here are Lucas Werdelin’s three points from the match.

Malmö FF exposed HBK’s major weakness

You hear at regular intervals that teams should take the next step, play more fun football and completely rearrange the tactical foundations during the winter. Halmstads BK is certainly not one of those teams.

Magnus Haglund’s gang immediately stood in their own penalty area and closed all possible central areas for MFF. It worked well initially and at half time the feeling was that Malmö had not created anything and needed to screw up a lot.

But when Joseph Baffoe became a ball watcher and Erik Botheim headed in the lead goal, HBK’s great weakness was exposed: adapting their game according to the match picture. All of a sudden the whole sea was storming in Halmstad and the guests had more chances in three minutes than they had done in the entire first half.

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Malmö will need the pattern breakers

When the starting eleven were released, it was clear that both Taha Ali and Stefano Vecchia had to start on the bench for Malmö FF. Ali is one of four players in the team who are fasting during Ramadan, which runs until April 9. It is not entirely unthinkable that it was a factor that weighed into the decision to bench the 25-year-old, who even when he is not fasting is usually used as a “super-sub” due to his intense style of play. For Vecchia, it was probably the history of illness that stopped a start on Örjan’s mound.

Early on, it appeared that MFF needed their offensive duo on the field. From minute one, Halmstads BK lined up in their usual low defense – and like the sky-blue guests had a hard time getting through it in the first half. It felt like all hope was for Isaac Kiese Thelin or Erik Botheim to reach the top of one of the posts that were shipped in for lack of other options.

But after the lead goal everything dropped for MFF – and HBK collapsed like a castle in the air. Taha Ali and Stefano Vecchia were perhaps not needed this time, but it will be important for Malmö to get the duo in good shape before the Allsvenskan starts.

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Set up for a dream final

Malmö FF looks better than in a long time and has flown to the cup final. At the press conference, HBK coach Magnus Haglund did not hold back with the words of praise and said that it was the best Malmö FF he had seen in 20 years. Watching the second half, it was hard to disagree.

Regardless of the outcome in tomorrow’s Stockholm derby, it will be a dream final on Ascension Day on May 9. Malmö FF against AIK or Djurgården. Maybe not the dream for the Police, but great for all football lovers.

The question is whether much will be decided already when the home field advantage is drawn next week. In Malmö FF’s last nine away meetings against AIK, they have only won one. On the other hand, AIK have not won in Malmö in 23 (!) years. Against Djurgården, MFF has exactly the same away statistics – and in Malmö, Djurgården has only managed to win two of the last ten matches. After today’s match, Henrik Rydström did not want to place too much importance on the draw, but he is probably aware deep down of what it can mean.

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