With sky-blue eyes, the scorching hot Öresund derby between Malmö FF and FC Copenhagen in the Champions League qualifying match has been portrayed as a hate meeting.
Apart from the fact that there is a history of violence between supporters in connection with previous meetings in European football, it is also - for Malmö supporters - about the member-owned association MFF taking on the commercial FCK. A club that was formed after a merger in 1992 and where the parent company also has adventure facilities under its umbrella.
No clear scoring opportunities
The game on the pitch in front of just over 20,000 spectators at the stadium in Malmö was neither scorching hot nor entertaining. A low-defending MFF had a good grip on Copenhagen, which as recently as last year reached the round of 16 in the Champions League.
Nor could MFF threaten forward. Neither during the first nor the second half. The first round ended goalless.
It's alive and that was the goal, says Pontus Jansson.
The return match at Parken will be played on August 12.
We have all the opportunities. It's going to be really fun, says Jansson.
MFF coach Henrik Rydström:
Result-wise okay. We keep a clean sheet. I'm trying to figure out if there were many clear scoring opportunities, but there weren't, says Rydström to MFF Play.
He is now putting the pressure on Copenhagen.
It kind of becomes that way. We can go in and see everything as positive. I think that can give us even more energy, says Rydström.
High police presence
In the event of a win in the double meeting, Basel from Switzerland awaits in a decisive playoff. In the event of a loss to the Danes, MFF will have to take on Czech Sigma Olomouc for a place in the Europa League group stage.
Some form of European play has Malmö already secured. At worst, it will be play in the Conference League in the fall.
The police on both sides of the sound see the double meeting as high-risk matches. On Monday, 29 Danish supporters were sent back to Denmark when the Swedish police feared they would cause disturbances. About 50 Copenhagen fans were also stopped at the stadium in Malmö on Tuesday evening because they had a ban on entry, reports SVT.
