The lift club had to drop to a lower league level, now it is fighting for a European place with HJK – this is the defender the club should attack today

The first game of the HJK – Silkeborg IF match will be played on Thursday at 19:00 at the Töölö stadium. The winner of the match pair advances to the group stage of the Europa League.

Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi is one match away from winning the second Europa League group stage in its history. It has already secured its entry into the group stage of the Conference League.

Now standing in the way of the Helsinki club is a small Danish breeding club, which has traveled like an elevator for the last few years between the Danish main league and the second level. However, Silkeborg IF has now somewhat unexpectedly become a thorn in the flesh of Denmark’s big clubs and is knocking on the gates of European cup tournaments.

Urheilu’s football expert Markus Halsti played four seasons in the Danish Superliga for FC Midtjylland and Esbjerg Fb. Halsti, who represented HJK for a long time in his career, also got to know Silkeborg when he was Midtjylland. The club represented by Halst is Silkeborg’s local rival, but bigger.

– Coincidentally, my family and I lived in Silkeborg for two years, so there are a lot of memories from life outside of football there as well, Halsti begins.

– Silkeborg was already the head coach during my own time in Denmark and even now by Kent Nielsen under such a team that if you gave them the ball, they enjoyed it. If you didn’t hustle as a team, then you definitely had to run. I remember even running myself, even though I played as a topper, he sums up.

Hear what Halsti remembers about Silkeborg and knows about its current situation.

– They like to control the game through the ball. HJK will surely have at least a sweaty evening talk.

Halsti highlights several ways in which HJK can knock down a Jutland team playing in the tough Danish premier league. The key roles are played by the toppers from the Helsinki side, with the captain as the front-runner Miro Tenhoas well as a wingback in excellent shape Murilo. Among the Danish players, Halsti singles out the attacking trio Nicolai Vallys, Nicklas Helenius and Sebastian Jörgensen.

Silkeborg is now playing its second season in a row in the Danish premier league. At the beginning of the 2020–21 season, the lift club was expected in the Danish media to fall back to the second league level, as it often did in the past.

However, the “Heroes of Söhöjlandet” emerging from the Danish lake region defied expectations. Nielsen piloted his team to third place in the series and grabbed the opportunity to qualify for the European cup tournaments. Silkeborg has continued this season and is second in the Danish Superliga after five games.

Halsti emphasizes the breeder status of the 105-year-old club and the importance of coach Nielsen’s 4–3–3 style of play as the cornerstones of the club’s success. The smaller club under the pressure of FC Midtjylland and AGF Aarhus shines with its polished whole.

– Nielsen’s football is, in a way, a hallmark of the entire Danish football philosophy. He relies on a long process and courage, which may sometimes backfire. The role of each player acquired in the team has been thought out very carefully and what he can bring to the ball game, Halsti explains.

The top three in particular are devastating. Vallys, Helenius and Jörgensen were almost unstoppable in the Danish premier league last season. The trio scored a total of 38 goals, with Helenius leading the series with 17 goals.

Listen below to how Halsti describes Silkeborg’s attacking trio.

Many opponents are focused on guarding Helenius.

– However, this opens up a lot of space for Vallys and Jörgensen. They are all so different as players that it makes guarding them difficult. Threats come in many different ways, Halsti describes.

Helenius is a very familiar opponent to Halst too. The Finn, who played as a top and lower midfielder in Denmark, got to fight with the now 31-year-old top on several occasions.

– He is a head or two taller than me at 196 centimeters. I still had to fight a lot with him for the main balls. He is very strong to play in the area of ​​sixteen, Halsti characterizes Silkeborg’s captain.

Although Silkeborg’s attack is a whole according to Halst’s description, Helenius, who stands out on the field, is certainly the target of HJK’s marking. Whether HJK will field captain Miro Tenho or someone else against him is still a question.

– One of the most important things in guarding Helenius is that HJK’s defensive line cannot run too low. You have to be able to keep him close under control, because he is excellent at dropping balls to his teammates, Halsti starts and also emphasizes preventing concentration.

Silkeborg has several weaknesses in comparison with HJK. On an individual level, the place of attack for the people of Helsinki may lie on the right wing of the away team, which is occupied by the 21-year-old Oliver Sonne. A full-back who knows how to attack and is good with the ball is not the best defensive player on his team. Part-time model jobs, on the other hand, are going well.

Murilo, who plays as HJK’s left wingback, will especially challenge Sonne.

Hear what Halsti thinks about the match pairs.

– Sonne is in a tough spot. If HJK ​​wins that side, then they are guaranteed to wreak havoc through it.

Halsti emphasizes that HJK must improve from before and now play two intact Euro matches in a row. The second part will be played next Thursday in Denmark.

Halsti believes that “Klubi’s” wider experience in European cup tournaments can be a turning point. Silkeborg is playing in Europe for the first time in years and has only played five league games in its home country.

Hear below what Halst thinks will decide the match pair.