Sirius continues to chase the club's first Swedish Championship title in football, but its form is faltering. In the previous round, Sirius dropped a late point at home against Elfsborg, and it now had another potential golden opportunity at home against AIK.
They deserve to win. It's too bad. We're not going to throw away this match, says Sirius player Isak Bjerkebo to TV4 Play.
Even if there may not be loud cheers for the victory in the black-and-yellow parts of Stockholm, the mood is probably happier elsewhere in the capital.
Leading by seven points
But second-placed Djurgården didn't really take advantage of the situation a few hours later. The team had a 2–1 lead at home against Örgryte, but in the first minute of added time, the Gothenburg team equalised through Viktor Ekblom to make the final score 2–2.
Djurgården now has 48 points - seven points behind Sirius, with five games left to play. Third-placed Hammarby has 46 points, but has six games left on the schedule and faces Mjällby away on Sunday.
"Of course it's nerve-wracking. I can't say many on the team have been in this position. This is new for everyone. I'm nervous sometimes, and some on the team are nervous, but we're going to get back on the horse," says Bjerkebo.
The first half between Sirius and AIK was temporarily interrupted when smoke from pyrotechnics in the stands spread across the pitch. The players made their way to the sidelines during the interruption, which lasted about two minutes.
AIK were the first to find the net after the break. Axel Kouamé made it 1–0 with a well-placed long-range shot.
The visitors' lead was short-lived, however. Just a minute later, Joakim Persson scored for the third time in two matches to equalise for Sirius.
Decided on penalties
But AIK continued to press. Just before the break, Taha Ayari was brought down in the penalty area by Soumah, and the referee pointed to the spot, sparking enormous anger among the Sirius players. Hove made no mistake from the spot, easily slotting in his ninth goal of the season.
After the break, Sirius pressed hard against an AIK side that defended tooth and nail. Joakim Persson came closest with just over 20 minutes left, but his header hit the post. There were no more goals, and the dejected Sirius players sat on the grass after the final whistle.
- Sirius, 55 points, 25 games
Remaining matches: Hammarby (away 29/10), Halmstad (home 3/11), Kalmar (away 8/11), Djurgården (home 22/11), IFK Gothenburg (away 29/11).
- Djurgården, 48 points, 25 matches
Remaining matches: IFK Göteborg (away 28/10), Degerfors (home 1/11), Halmstad (away 8/11), Sirius (away 22/11), Häcken (home 29/11).
- Hammarby, 46 points, 24 matches
Remaining matches: Mjällby (away 25/10), Sirius (home 29/10), Malmö FF (away 1/11), Elfsborg (home 6/11), IFK Göteborg (home 23/11), Västerås (away 29/11).
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