The Sweden League fixture hammarby vs aik is set for Sunday 24-05-2026 at 3Arena, with kick-off at 14:00 in Round 9 — First Leg; Hammarby will start in a 4-2-3-1 under head coach Kalle Karlsson while AIK line up 4-3-3 under manager José Riveiro.
Hammarby confirmed a starting XI of Warner Hahn, Ibrahima Fofana, Victor Eriksson, Frederik Winther, Noah Persson, Markus Karlsson, Tesfaldet Tekie, Montader Madjed, Nahir Besara, Oscar Johansson Schellhas and Paulos Abraham. AIK named Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Mads Doehr Thychosen, Sotirios Papagiannopoulos, Aron Csongvai, Stanley Wilson, Yannick Geiger, Johan Hove, Dino Besirovic, Kevin Filling, Erik Flataker and Bersant Celina.
The numbers underline why attention will be tight: Paulos Abraham leads Hammarby with seven goals, Nahir Besara has five goals and six assists for the hosts, while Johan Hove has four goals and Zadok Yohanna two goals and three assists for AIK. Across the last 10 meetings between the sides there have been four Hammarby wins, three AIK victories and three draws, and Hammarby’s most recent head-to-head at 3Arena finished 2-1 in their favour.
Form figures supplied for the fixture show Hammarby with six wins, two losses and two draws in their recent run, against AIK’s three wins, four losses and three draws. Possession statistics cited ahead of the match put Hammarby on 61.4% average possession and AIK on 52.7% average possession — figures that reflect different game profiles and underline Hammarby’s tendency to control the ball.
The tactical match-up is straightforward on paper: Kalle Karlsson’s 4-2-3-1 projects a midfield built to dominate and feed the attacking line of Besara and Abraham, while José Riveiro’s 4-3-3 gives AIK a front three intended to stretch defences and create chances through Johan Hove and Bersant Celina. How those shapes meet across the 3Arena turf will decide whether Hammarby can turn possession into clear chances or whether AIK’s forward trio will exploit transitions.
There is, however, a tension in the data. Hammarby’s possession edge and recent home win at 3Arena suggest advantage, yet the head-to-head ledger across 10 matches is balanced enough to warn against complacency: four wins for Hammarby against three for AIK and three draws. AIK’s attacking returns — Hove’s four goals and contributions from players like Zadok Yohanna — mean the fixture can swing on a few decisive moments rather than sustained territorial control.
At 14:00 on Sunday the question hanging over Kalle Karlsson’s side is precise: can the 4-2-3-1 convert control into goals against a 4-3-3 setup that has troubled them in recent meetings? The confirmed lineups leave no mystery about intent from either bench — what remains to be seen is which XI executes their plan better on the day at 3Arena.
