IF Elfsborg Secure Europa League Progression

IF Elfsborg delivered an emphatic performance, defeating Pafos FC 5-2 away at the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium in Cyprus, and advancing to the second qualifying round of the Europa League with an 8-2 aggregate victory.

The match began blistering, and tensions flared early on, leading to several physical duels. One such clash saw Elfsborg’s Arber Zeneli receive a kick to the stomach from João Correia, who was subsequently shown a red card, leaving Pafos to play with 10 men from the 14th minute.

Despite Pafos controlling much of the play, it was Elfsborg who struck first. Rami Kaib delivered a superb cross to Timothy Ouma, who found space at the far post to head the ball confidently into the net, giving Elfsborg a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.

However, Pafos quickly equalised. In the 25th minute, a cross from the right side led to a defensive mix-up, with Sebastian Holmén inadvertently heading the ball into his own net, making it 1-1. Pafos then took the lead just before half-time. A cleverly executed free-kick from the left side found an unmarked Dragomir, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of Pettersson’s goal, putting the Cypriot side ahead 2-1.

Second Half

Elfsborg manager Oscar Hiljemark made two substitutions at half-time, bringing on Besfort Zeneli and Niklas Hult, both of whom made an immediate impact. Just two minutes into the second half, Hult broke into the penalty area from the left and set up Michael Baidoo, who calmly equalised for Elfsborg at 2-2.

Moments later, Elfsborg completed the turnaround. Andri Baldursson surged forward and, finding no clear passing options, decided to take a shot himself. His effort was perfectly placed, nestling next to the goalkeeper’s right post to give Elfsborg a 3-2 lead.

As Pafos attempted to mount a comeback, Elfsborg tightened their grip on the game, effectively controlling the tempo and limiting Pafos to long-range efforts that rarely troubled Pettersson.

In the 58th minute, substitute Jalal Abdullai extended Elfsborg’s lead to 4-2, delicately lifting the ball over the Pafos goalkeeper and into the net.

The Allsvenskan outfit continued to dominate, with further chances falling to Abdullai, Besfort Zeneli, and Ahmed Qasem, but it wasn’t until the 85th minute that the final goal came. Niklas Hult played in Arber Zeneli, who finished clinically to make it 5-2, sealing an emphatic aggregate victory for the Swedish side.