Haecken – AEK Larnaca

The guests will continue their unbeaten run in the Conference League.

A few years ago, Häcken became the Swedish champion for the first time in its history. This important achievement for the club from Gothenburg was accomplished under the guidance of the magnificent Norwegian coach Per-Mathias Høgmo. However, with his departure, the team's level of play declined. This only pertains to the national championship, where after finishing in first place, they came third, then eighth, and their last season ended in tenth. Häcken qualified for the current European Cup draw due to another achievement. In May 2025, they managed to win the Swedish Cup, which became their ticket to UEFA Europa League qualification, from which they were eliminated by the Norwegian Brann. In the playoff qualification round of the Europa Conference League, Häcken was more successful, easily progressing past CFR Cluj with an aggregate score of 7-3. AEK Larnaca from the Europa League qualification was also knocked out by the same Brann, although the Cypriots did go through a rather serious campaign before meeting the Norwegians: Partizan, Celje, and Legia. Unlike their upcoming opponent, the club from Larnaca is showing an outstanding level of play in the group stage, being the only club among the 36 participants of the Conference League that has not conceded a single goal in four matches. AEK Larnaca's distinguishing feature is not only their reliability at their own goal but also their complete lack of respect for the TOP clubs in the tournament. Bookmakers have made the home team the favorites of the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.18 for their victory. A major problem for Häcken before the next round of the Conference League is the lack of match practice. The Swedish championship ended about a month ago, after which the "wasps" played one friendly match and did not perform well in the last round of the European Cup, losing to Zrinjski Mostar. On the positive side, Häcken drew at home against Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League. On the negative side, this team has won only two of their last twelve official matches. Comparing such achievements with AEK Larnaca, the visitors appear significantly more advantageous. The Cypriot team won 4-0 at home against AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League and dealt with Crystal Palace in London - 1-0. Moreover, the guests have an unbeaten streak of eleven matches. AEK Larnaca will earn at least one point in Gothenburg.