Top of the table Degerfors took on Kalmar at Stora Valla in the Allsvenskan and the home team had a dream start to the match.
Midfielder Rasmus Örqvist was cleared by Dijan Vukojevic and distinctly placed the ball at the far post. The goal was the 23-year-old’s first in the Allsvenskan.
After that, the home team continued to stick up with dangerous counterattacks. Omar Faraj had a great opportunity to extend the lead, but Ricardo Friedrich in the Kalmar goal made an impressive one-handed save and also caught the rebound.
Kalmar’s dominance
Kalmar dominated possession, with a couple of minutes left until the break, the away team had 75 percent of possession, but the really hot goal chances did not materialize.
In the end, however, the equalizer came. Oliver Berg, Kalmar’s captain, scored 1-1 from close range after fine preparatory work by Malmö FF loanee Sebastian Nanasi.
In the second half, Kalmar continued to roll the ball. But Degerfors defended well and were dangerous on counterattacks.
It was also a counterattack that led to the decisive goal of the match. Örqvist hit a nice cross to Vukojevic who easily put in 2-1 to Degerfors.
“Obviously bloody bad”
— We’re so fucking slow. Obviously, I’m a damn bad football coach who can’t get my players to run against teams they think they’re better than, says Henrik Rydström, Kalmar’s coach, to Discovery+ and continues:
— We are not better than any team in the Allsvenskan if we do not max out.
With about 20 minutes left, Kalmar’s Finn Simon Skrabb was replaced. In connection with the change, Skrabb received a yellow card, which means that he is suspended for the next round against AIK.
The result means that Degerfors climbs up to the qualifying spot in a limping table, one point ahead of Helsingborg and Gif Sundsvall.
Sundsvall meets Varberg later on Saturday.