Djurgården's progress in the Conference League has not yet reached its final destination. The Stockholm team was pressured to win the return match against Pafos, after 0–1 in the first match on Cyprus.
And that's exactly what happened. But not without the VAR room trying to stop the celebration.
First, Tokmac Nguen's leading goal was disallowed as early as the seventh minute, and early in the second half, Tobias Gulliksen was denied his goal. Both after VAR intervened and corrected the referee's decisions.
But fortunately for the home team, the judgments would play a lesser role in the end.
For after Oscar Fallenius had scored 1–0 in the 35th minute, the total score was even.
And when Daniel Stensson scored a real dream goal in the second half – when he first broke the ball on his own half and then finished the attack with a dream finish in the crossbar – the home fans could conclude that the turnaround was complete.
Pikade opponent: "We slaughtered them"
And Fallenius was clear about what he thought of the opponent.
I don't know how to describe it properly... I think we slaughtered them, if I'm being completely honest. An incredible performance by us, and I don't even think they were close, he says to Disney+.
Even Swedish Muamer Tanković, who scored Pafos' only goal in the first match and chose to celebrate against the visiting Djurgården fans, got a scolding.
Nice to shut Tanković's mouth too. He can go home to Cyprus now, says Daniel Stensson.
The final result was 3–0 after Nguen nodded in a rebound, and Djurgården is thus advancing to the quarterfinals in the Conference League. There, they will face Austrian opposition in the form of Rapid Wien. The first match will be played on April 10 and the return match a week later.
Terrifying injury – screamed out his pain
But the win did not come without setbacks.
In the 70th minute of the match, unpleasant scenes unfolded, when the home team's goalkeeper Malkolm Nilsson Säfqvist suffered a terrifying injury and screamed out his pain. After picking up a ball, the 31-year-old took a fall with his left arm, which bent in the landing.
After a period of medical attention on the pitch, where Nilsson Säfqvist was seen sitting in severe pain, he had to leave.
