- Hammarby form: Hammarby are unbeaten in their last 3 matches after back-to-back wins against IF Elfsborg and Kalmar FF in the Allsvenskan.
- Anderlecht form: RSC Anderlecht are in mixed form with 2 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats in their last 10 competitive games.
Hammarby have real bite at home
Manager and recent results:
Henrik Rydstroem took over as head coach of Hammarby IF in June and has seen a real improvement in his team's shape and results since then. They are coming off back-to-back Allsvenskan victories over IF Elfsborg and Kalmar FF and should be in a good mood when they face RSC Anderlecht in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 tie.
Home form and key threat:
Hammarby's home record in all competitions is 3 wins and 1 defeat with the team averaging 2.50 goals scored per game and 0.75 goals conceded, so they clearly have real firepower at home. Rydstroem has made them more compact, structured and pragmatic, but they also have a livewire in Paulos Abraham who has the pace to be a real threat when games open up.
Anderlecht's approach:
Vitor Bruno, the man in charge of Anderlecht since 1 July 2026, has a very different problem in that his team want the ball and try to win it back as high up the pitch as possible. His side are much more possession based and build up. It should set up a tidy match-up with Hammarby happy to play on the counter and Anderlecht wanting to pin them back.
Don’t underestimate Hammarby’s chances
This looks like a tight European tie, but the Swedes have a bit more bite at home and Anderlecht have been fragile away from home in 2026, so the hosts are worth a good wager at slightly better odds.
A 5-1 belting by Union St.-Gilloise in the Championship Group of the First Division A is still fresh in the memory. Anderlecht have shipped 11 goals in four away fixtures in all competitions and that is a big red flag going into this tie.
- Anderlecht are the slight favorites at 2.4 with Hammarby coming in at 2.9 and the draw at 3.25.
- Both teams to score at 1.72 and Over 2.5 goals at 1.95 seem a bit low for what should be a lively contest rather than a cagey first-leg stalemate.
- Anderlecht's goals have come in clusters this season with Danylo Sikan hitting three of them in their last five games in which they have scored nine times.
