Slovan Bratislava coach Yaya Touré has, as a player, won on all the biggest stages in world football. After a late turnaround, he can now also add a 2-1 victory in the Champions League qualifier at Strandvallen to his CV.
Long VAR review
The first half was characterised by low tempo and poor quality.
The match then really picked up in the second half. Yaya Touré sent out an attack-minded team that committed large parts of the side forward, but without creating any real danger.
The result was Mjällby's. In the 58th minute, Jacob Bergström was pulled down in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Penalty taker Elliot Stroud got a taste of international football when a VAR check left him standing at the penalty spot for over two minutes before the penalty was awarded. But that didn't faze Stroud, who confidently slotted home the 1-0 goal.
“Felt so safe”
But 15 minutes later, bad luck would smile on Stroud's face. The away team's Suleiman Camara unleashed a shot just outside the penalty area. The shot was directed at Stroud and beat Robin Wallinder in the Mjällby goal, making it 1-1, a goal that came out of nowhere, according to Mjällby coach Karl Marius Aksum.
"I can't believe what's happening, it felt so safe at 1-0, we went for a second. It really felt like we had control of this match," he says in Aftonbladet's broadcast.
In the final minutes, it looked as if both teams were waiting for the final whistle and the draw, but then the visitors changed the game. A flying counterattack ended with Manasse Kianga, who calmly placed the final score at 2-1 with only two minutes left in added time.
It's brutal to get 1-2 at the end, it's really tough for the guys who play a good match for 70 minutes, says Karl Marius Aksum.
The second leg of the third Champions League qualifying round will be played in Bratislava on August 11.
