Already 56 seconds into the European Championship League premiere, Glasgow Rangers could take the lead after Malmö's right-back Gabriel Busanello made a headless backward pass.
I don't understand it, says Henrik Rydström about the Brazilian's pass.
"They're not our playmakers"
We play backwards and it's a problem we've had for a long time. I've tried to get my players to understand that we don't play back to our goalkeepers, because they're not our playmakers. Shit happens and he's a fantastic player, but it sets the tone in a negative way.
Even at the second goal with just over a quarter of an hour left to play, Busanello was involved when he slipped before Rangers' Ross McCausland sealed the final result.
It's the kind of thing that happens. It's the pitch's fault, it's not Busanello's fault. We're a team that slips pretty wildly, says MFF goalkeeper Johan Dahlin.
Gabriel Busanello:
It was my mistake (first goal) and it can't happen in a tournament like this. In the second goal, there was also a mistake, which the team has to take responsibility for, he says via an interpreter.
Rydström takes some of the responsibility for Busanello having a tough match when he played the Brazilian in a three-man backline, just like in the 4–0 win against Häcken in the Allsvenskan last weekend.
It's not his usual position and I may have overestimated the effort (against Häcken). He ended up in situations in this match that he normally does as a right-back. It's my responsibility – I know he did his best, says the MFF coach.
It got slightly better at the beginning of the second half, but MFF never reached the level.
Too many players hid. And that applies to the defense as well, says Rydström.
"Punished for European cynicism"
Captain Anders Christiansen thinks MFF gave away the match, but there was no underestimation.
First and foremost, we're playing in Europe and Rangers are a big team. It was a team with quality, then I don't think we're good today, says the Dane and continues:
When you play in Europe, it's about cynicism – you don't get many chances. They were more clinical when they got the opportunity. We were punished for European cynicism.
Next Thursday, MFF will face an away match against Qarabag in Baku, Azerbaijan.
