"Now we're lifting off towards Europe" read the banner that Hammarby's supporters had unfolded across the short side of the pitch before Wednesday's football match at Tele2 Arena.
The risk is that the journey will end as early as next week in Lisbon.
1–2 was not the result "Bajen" wanted to take with them ahead of the return leg in the battle for a spot in the Champions League.
But all in all, we put in a pretty good performance. I feel that hope is still alive. Now it's up to them to handle the pressure and defend their lead. We have everything to gain, says Julie Blakstad.
It started brilliantly when Hammarby's women entered the European Championship qualifiers for the first time.
12,000 in the stands
Stina Lennartsson sent a high ball into Benfica's penalty area. There wasn't much to work with, but Cathinka Tandberg maximized the outcome. The Norwegian success recruit from Linköping pushed away her opponent and headed the ball perfectly to another of Hammarby's Norwegians, Julie Blakstad, who slammed it in directly: 1–0 in the 16th minute.
When Hammarby plays at Tele2 Arena, the crowd is often a factor. But the 12,062 spectators weren't enough to disturb Benfica, who have never missed the Champions League group stage.
And when Eva Nyström made a mistake at the end of the first half, the Portuguese women struck immediately. The team's top scorer Cristina Martin-Prieto thanked them, received the pass, and rolled in the equalizer.
Goal drought broken
Tandberg then had a header against the post just before the break, but immediately after, Benfica had turned the match around.
Marie Aldiou played the ball in to Andreia Norton in front of goal. The shot went slowly and in a strange arc, but Hammarby goalkeeper Anna Tamminen had her weight on the wrong foot and couldn't stop the 1–2.
The rest of the half became a struggle for the home team, who had an extremely hard time getting forward. Once it worked, and gave Cathinka Tandberg a great equalizing opportunity.
But the Norwegian, who had scored seven goals in six matches for Hammarby before Wednesday, couldn't make it happen. Benfica's Lena Pauels made a brilliant save and secured the win for the away team.
The starting point for the return leg is, however, far from hopeless, says Tandberg.
We have nothing to lose, so it's just a matter of going for it, says the 20-year-old.
They have the pressure on them, and it's probably a bit scary to have such a lead, one goal, and it's all square again.
