Elfsborg kicked off the Europa League, in the new game format with a series of single matches, away against Dutch AZ Alkmaar. And it ended in defeat after AZ scored a penalty with a quarter of the match left.
A sour defeat. I think it's a cheap penalty they get to 3–2, says Hedlund.
Ahmed Qasem became the scapegoat after a foul in the penalty area. Troy Parrott scored the penalty.
The home team started with a 10-minute hard press against Elfsborg. But a disallowed Elfsborg goal opened up the match. Arber Zeneli received a long ball and then played it forward in front of goal where Qasem came rushing in and scored. But after VAR review, it turned out that Zeneli was offside, with a very small margin.
Twelve minutes later, Elfsborg could still score, in the pouring rain in Alkmaar, through Timothy Ouma who shot the ball hard into goal after a cross from the left.
Lost the ball
In the end of the first half, Elfsborg goalkeeper Isak Pettersson made a cannon save on Jordy Clasie's shot, only to lose the ball in front of Ruben van Bommel who could only tap the ball into goal to 1–1.
In the beginning of the second half, van Bommel, son of the old star player Mark van Bommel, made it 2–1.
Elfsborg's response came three minutes later when Ouma broke AZ's attack on midfield and passed the ball forward to Simon Hedlund who drove forward with the ball on the left flank and went into the penalty area and shot the ball into goal at the far post.
"Can become really good"
Ruben van Bommel could have made a hat-trick in an AZ counterattack, but Isak Pettersson rushed out and saved to the corner.
When we dare to play, we get good attacks. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough all the way. When we get used to the tempo, it can become really good, says Hedlund about the future in the Europa League.
Elfsborg's Europa League game continues next Thursday when Roma comes to visit in Borås.
