UECL: Nguen and Stensson Strike as Djurgarden Reach Quarterfinals

Djurgarden complete an impressive turnaround, defeating Pafos 3-0 to advance to the UEFA Conference League quarterfinals, overturning a first-leg deficit and ending Pafos' debut European campaign.

Djurgarden accomplished a stunning turnaround, defeating Pafos 3-0 to overcome their deficit from the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie. This victory propelled the Swedish side into the quarterfinals of a European competition for the first time in nearly 70 years, dating back to their 1955/56 European Cup campaign.

Pafos narrowly escaped conceding early, surviving two major scares within the opening six minutes. Bruno Felipe initially halted his run, believing he had been fouled by Oskar Fallenius, but the referee allowed play to continue. Felipe then unleashed a tame shot that was comfortably saved, ensuring the match remained goalless in its early stages.

Tokmac Nguen's initial attempt at goal was ruled out due to a handball infraction, as he controlled the ball under pressure from Jonathan Silva. Nguen's frustration intensified when Vlad Dragomir made a brilliant block to deny his subsequent shot, which had been teed up by Jacob Une's headed knockdown.

Pafos then enjoyed a spell of positive play, with Derrick Luckassen narrowly missing the target after a precise cross from Ken Sema. Moments later, Ivica Ivušić was forced to rush out and intervene, preventing a fortuitous bounce from allowing Nguen to score. As the match approached the 35-minute mark, the home crowd at Tele2 Arena grew increasingly restless.

The tension was finally alleviated in the 35th minute, as Oskar Fallenius combined cleverly with Tokmac Nguen before poking the ball past Ivica Ivušić to score his first-ever European goal. This breakthrough sparked jubilation among the home supporters, who had been growing increasingly anxious as the match wore on.

Keita Kosugi delivered a menacing cross into the box, but Adam Ståhl's header directed the ball towards Miro Tenho, who was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Djurgården thought they had taken the lead early in the second half through Tobias Gulliksen's powerful strike, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul committed by Gulliksen on Silva in the buildup.

What a performance! 🔥

Djurgården progress to the quarter-finals in style 😎#UECL pic.twitter.com/FWicKFzm8G

— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) March 13, 2025

Tensions began to rise, with four yellow cards issued within a 12-minute span. Each of these bookings carried significant consequences, as the recipients would miss the quarterfinal if Djurgården progressed. The match witnessed a flurry of activity, with Anderson Silva heading off-target and Oskar Fallenius striking the side netting. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 69th minute, courtesy of Daniel Stensson's audacious strike, which handed Djurgården the lead.

However, the celebrations were short-lived, as goalkeeper Malkolm Nilsson Säfqvist suffered a gruesome injury shortly after. Djurgården continued to push forward, and after Fallenius' effort was tipped onto the crossbar, Nguen sealed the victory by heading home. This goal ensured that Djurgården's first win in four competitive matches was sufficient to secure a quarterfinal berth in the UECL, where they will face either Rapid Vienna or Borac Banja Luka. In the process, Djurgården brought an end to Pafos' impressive debut European campaign.