- FC Red Bull Salzburg are in good form with 3 wins & 2 draws in their last 5 games and on a 2-game winning streak.
- Mjallby AIF are on a poor run of 1 win & 4 defeats in their last 5 matches and still seek their first away win in 3 games across all competitions (1 draw & 2 defeats).
- Both sides will see every duel, every transition and every phase of the game as gold dust because this is not a friendly.
Salzburg will take the sting out of Mjallby in Austria
It is hard to imagine Mjallby AIF taking anything other than a thumping on Thursday night when they take on FC Red Bull Salzburg at Red Bull Arena for the second leg of this UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 matchup.
Karl Marius Aksum has done a fantastic job since he was appointed on 1 January 2026 to take the club forward in a process-driven manner. Mjallby are possession-based from the back with the flexibility to play a 3-4-2-1 formation, depending on the game. They play a calm and structured game, pressing in numbers when out of possession and they have a sharp edge in the forward line in the form of Olle Lindberg, who has netted 2 of his side's 5 goals in their last 5.
That said, Mjallby lost their home advantage when they lost 1-0 to Salzburg in the first leg and they have had no luck on the road in 2026, losing 2 and drawing 1. It wasn't a bad performance against a tough opponent and they did a good job to keep the visitors from running away with it, but the defeat means that they will have to play with more intensity this time around.
Salzburg are a different breed of beast though and Danny Roehl is doing a great job since his appointment as head coach on 1 July 2026. His teams always play at a high tempo and are always looking to press in waves when out of possession.
Their system is very simple, a 4-2-2-2 or diamond that is built on a number of players being able to run in straight lines at speed. They are incredibly dangerous when they can overload the wide areas or counter-press an opponent into a mistake and turn it into a chance. Haris Tabakovic is their main danger man, with 4 goals in 3 matches in this competition and 4 of Salzburg's 8 goals in their 5-game run.
Die Roten Bullen are worthy favourites
Salzburg are 1.24 for the win and rightfully so, as Mjallby are 5.7 and it seems unlikely that the visitors can score a goal, let alone cause an upset. However, the odds are not good value in the match betting and the edge goes to the hosts, who have won 3 of their 5 home games in all competitions and only conceded 5 goals.
We think this one will go the way of Salzburg, but Mjallby will do a good job to ensure that we don't get a shootout. Both teams to score - No looks a decent bet at 1.62.
