Malmo appeared very calm and controlled the happenings in Romania, against a very poor Cluj side. The Swedes say they were a little surprised to not be put under more pressure, and in the end, it was a fully deserved victory where the final result was written 0-1. The crucial away goal for Malmo is something to build on when they return home to a city who breathes a lot of optimism at the moment.

However, let us begin with the first match between these two. Cluj did not let this performance go unpunished and sacked coach Edward Iordanescu since the players reportedly did not really buy into his leadership. Instead, Antonio Conceicao was appointed. He has been in Cluj before and is a respected name within Romanian football and the three titles won in Romania.

The poor result against Malmo was followed up with a 0-0 draw versus Calarasi, which should be seen as a poor result given the expected positive feelings that should surround the squad after going through the changes on the sideline. The trio up front, Deac, Tucudean, and Omrani showed very little but are fully capable of generating dangers.

Malmo might not currently sit in an attractive place in Allsvenskan, but that is a result of having a really poor start to the season under coach Magnus Pehrsson. He was replaced by Uwe Roesler from Germany, which proved to be vital for Malmos season. He is still unbeaten since appointed and the team itself has seen an incredible rise in performances. Several victories have been lined up and they have started to climb in the standings.

They also acted on the transfer market when bringing in attacker Romain Gall (13/7) from Sundsvall. Also, they will get back midfield engine Fouad Bachirou (8/0) after missing the first match in Romania. To add to the positives, Malmo is preparing for a deeper run in the Champions League, as they added Guillermo Molins from Panathinaikos as well. He will however not be playing quite yet but is seen as an icon in the city.

Without a question, the Swedes looked great in Romania and also in general under the new coach. They played a good mixture of possession and more direct. At home, they are always difficult to beat, and supporters are starting to fill the stadium more each game. It is generally hostile when Champions League qualifiers come to Malmo. Surely, Cluj is unpredictable after they also changed their coach but that is more of a quick fix, and expected to take a few more games before results will go Cluj's way. At this price, I have to go with the hosts who are in their best shape since the 2016 season.