Swedish Cup Final - IFK Göteborg (Neutral)
The Swedish Cup Final, for the third consecutive year, is contested between Malmö FF and IFK Göteborg. I have faith in my backup players to get the job done. I had to pick one first choice player in the back four due to injuries, and so captain Helander gets the start.
IFK nearly took a shock lead in the 18th minute though, as a cross was swung in and met by the head of their striker, but a brilliant save from Castellano kept the scores tied.
20 seconds later he was called into action again, and once again was up to the task, parrying the shot behind for a corner.
We had our first real chance in the 25th minute, as Kardum slipped Thauvin through, who teed up Delahaye, but his effort was brilliantly turned aside by the IFK keeper.
Just over a minute later and inch perfect pass from Kardum had Delahaye through with only the keeper to beat, and he did so, but he also beat the far post, the ball rolling wide.
In the 37th minute Delahaye finally made a chance count. Tinnerholm’s low cross found him inside the box, and his volley couldn’t have been better placed, angling up into the top right corner, completely unstoppable. Kardum was once again pulling the strings in that play.
Delahaye once again returned to profligate ways in the 44th minute though, firing straight at the keeper when in plenty of space at the top of the box.
But in first half stoppage time the Belgian striker had his second of the game, beating the keeper to Kardum’s perfect pass and sliding it across him to double our lead.
IFK were determined to make a game of it though, and 35 seconds after half time a speculative cross took a deflection off IFK player Petterson, and despite looking innocuous, somehow slipped through Castellano’s grasp and into the net. The commentators described it as a total fluke, but I doubt IFK were complaining!
In the 61st minute the next instalment of the Delahaye show went to air, as Bengtsson lofted a cross into the box, and the striker buried the header to seal his hat trick! Incidentally, he pushed one goal ahead of IFK’s Gustav Engvall in the Swedish Cup goal scorer charts with this, having come into the match on 6, with Engvall on 8.
Engvall almost levelled that tally up two minutes later, first having a shot blocked, and then 15 seconds later finding himself one on one with Castellano, who pulled out a brilliant save to keep us two goals clear.
Youth team player Henrik Grändås came off the bench in place of Neri in the 68th minute.
Blomqvist picked up a knock shortly afterwards, and was replaced by the returning Andersson in the 74th minute.
I was left stunned in the 78th minute as Delahaye added his fourth of the game with a snapshot that beat the IFK keeper at his near post from a very tight angle. It was Kardum’s second assist of the game too.
But that was nothing next to the shock I received from IFK’s remarkable second goal in the 81st minute. A harmless cross made it’s way to the 6 yard box, and Helander lined it up and belted it - straight into an IFK player, and it rebounded into the net! Ridiculous!
Forsberg replaced Molins in the 90th minute. An impressive display of goalscoring from Delahaye was enough to see us past IFK in a highly entertaining game. Joakim Kardum’s playmaking ability was on full display as well, and I am delighted with the player he is becoming. My favourite player on this save without exception!
POM: Dorian Delahaye (9.7, 4G, 0A)
