Helsinki Football Club beat the Slovenian NK Maribor 1–0 at home. Santeri Hostikka completed HJK’s goal.
Helsinki Jalkapalloklubi HJK secured its place in the group stage of the Football Conference League, but it can still reach the group games of the Europa League.
The place in the third level of the continent’s club teams, i.e. the Conference League, was secured when the Club beat the Slovenian NK Maribor in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.
Last week, HJK gained a big advantage in Slovenia by winning 2–0. It pretty much decided the home game Santeri Hostikan with a 54th-minute hit, making the aggregate victory 3–0. In the Europa League group stage competition, HJK will face Danish Silkeborg.
– It’s enough to be hungry, because the team’s goal is to reach the biggest possible place in Europe. Silkeborg is a really tough team, we are going to challenge them bravely, HJK captain Miro Tenho assured.
On Thursday, Maribor couldn’t break through the five-player defensive line led by Tenho. A few finishing attempts by the guests turned out to be lackluster kicks and misses.
The home team from Helsinki built up the result moderately – but not as if they were aiming for a draw.
Hostika’s goal was preceded by an opening pass, thanks to which he got to a great position with a little progress. Hostikka placed the ball from about 14 meters into the back corner, so that it surely hit the goalkeeper by Alexander Bergsen.
– We realized that we had a good result from the visitors, but that shouldn’t be too much in our minds. In the second period, we started to find space in the opponent’s back today, Tenho explained.
This article will be updated with the Conference League qualifying match Young Boys–KuPS.