Despite a late attempt to fight back from the home same, the Damallsvenskan title-holders strolled to a dominant win in Valhalla.

Champions show their class

Even with though their profligacy in front of goal could have cost them in the end, FC Rosengård showed why they are the champions with a largely dominant display over a Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC side that failed to make an impression. Until the final 15 minutes, the home side never truly threatened an upset as Rosengård pressed and harried them from the first minute, creating a host of chances and deserving more than their two goal lead.

Against a side they were unable to beat last season, this was for 75 minutes an impressive show of intent from Rosengård as they attempt to hold off a strong Linköpings FC in the title race. For Göteborg it was a sign of how far they still need to improve to have any chance of UEFA Women's Champions League qualification. Their goal to bring it back to 2-1 finally roused them into action, but by then it was too late.

Rosengård dominate first half

FC Rosengård got off to a fast start, with Lieke Martens and Marta causing issues down both flanks and getting in crosses within the first two minutes, and their early pressing paid off as Ella Masar latched onto a perfectly-weighted through-ball from Nataša Andonova and slammed the ball home in off the bar. Göteborg struggled to cope with the pace of the Rosengård attacks, and Masar came close again, putting the ball just over from a sumptuous Andonova cross.

The home side couldn’t cope on either flank, and good work between Marta and Lina Nilsson on the right resulted in Martens heading just wide. The pressure finally paid off as Andonova was teed up on the edge of the area for one of her trademark left-footers into the top corner. It could have got even worse for the home side when Andonova found herself free in the area minutes later, but she slipped and her weak shot was easily stopped.

A free-kick from Nilsson towards the end of the half nearly sneaked into the top corner, acrobatically saved by Guerts. A weak header from Anna Ahlstrand was Göteborg’s only chance early on, but Rosengård were truly dominant and could feel unlucky to go into the break with only a two-goal lead.

Second half begins slowly

The second half started a lot slower than the first, Rosengård feeling no need to pressure as intensely as at the beginning of the first. They slowed the tempo down and tried to work openings rather than harry the home side into making errors. This allowed Göteborg to get a little foothold into the match, but a couple of corners in quick succession yielded no results. The closest they came to extending their lead was a free-kick by Marta that was hit directly into the wall.

Hammarlund sparks eventual Göteborg fight

After a quiet spell, and completely against the run of play, Göteborg pulled a goal back as Anita Asante missed a long ball, leaving Pauline Hammarlund in the clear to finish with a perfectly placed left-footed chip over Sofia Lundgren. The goal clearly rattled a Rosengård side who should have been much further ahead, with Hammarlund coming close again a few minutes later, firing a half-chance just over the bar.

Her goal caused the game to start to open up again, with Marta just missing a chance to re-extend the lead when through on goal and then Ahlstrand having a chance to head in an equaliser from close range after a perfect cross but failing to get enough power behind the ball. Göteborg kept pressing for an equaliser, but came no closer and in the end Rosengård had just enough to hold on and claim their victory.

VAVEL Logo
About the author