Allsvenskan Midweek: Late Leach Goal Narrowly Reduces AIK’s Advantage at the Summit

AIK will stay at the top of the Allsvenskan following Round 9, although their lead has now been trimmed to just a point after a dramatic equaliser from Samuel Leach in the 92nd minute helped Hacken secure a 3-3 draw. Meanwhile, Hammarby cruised to a 3-2 victory over Sirius at home, setting the stage for an exciting clash as they prepare to face AIK this weekend.

Riding high after their recent triumph over Mjallby, AIK entered their away match against Gothenburg with confidence, which they displayed when Benjamin Tiedemann headed home a corner kick from Bersant Celina just 16 minutes into the match.

However, Hacken were determined to fight back, and they equalised just before the hour mark as Leach unleashed a spectacular shot from 30 yards that found the top corner.

Just four minutes later, an upset seemed possible when Hacken took the lead. Severin Nioule assisted John Dembe, and after his initial attempt was parried, Nioule was quick to convert the rebound.

AIK responded swiftly, scoring twice in rapid succession. Mads Thychosen’s cutback found Victor Andersson, who was well-positioned to hammer the ball into the top corner.

Just three minutes later, AIK regained the lead after stealing the ball high up the pitch. The play was skillfully worked to Andronikos Kakoullis, who calmly finished past Etrit Berisha, the Hacken goalkeeper, leaving him stranded.

Just when AIK thought they had secured the win, there was another twist. In stoppage time, Ben Engdahl made a run to the byline and delivered a precise pass to Leach, who curled an exquisite strike into the opposite corner for his second remarkable goal of the match, ensuring the points were shared.

The draw keeps AIK unbeaten but marks their second consecutive away game without a win. Despite a resilient finish, Hacken has only managed two victories in their last eight matches.

Taking full advantage of AIK’s slip, Hammarby is just one point behind the leaders after clinching a chaotic 3-2 victory over Sirius at home.

Sirius, who came into the match unbeaten in three games, made a strong start and took the lead within the first five minutes. A half-cleared corner fell to Tobias Carlsson, who deftly set up Noel Milleskog to strike the ball in off the post.

However, that lead only lasted six minutes, as Victor Eriksson netted a goal from a corner kick, heading home at the near post. Hammarby surged ahead 10 minutes after half-time when an unclaimed low cross in the six-yard box fell to Nahir Besara, who made no mistake with the finish.

The visitors responded, and with a quarter of the match remaining, Melker Heier won possession in a dangerous area, setting up Robbie Ure, who scored his second goal in as many matches to level the match.

Unfortunately for Sirius, their joy was short-lived, as they fell behind again just three minutes later when Abdelrahman Boudah glanced a header in from Jacob Ortmark’s cross.

On Sunday, AIK will host Hammarby at Strawberry Arena in what promises to be another exciting top-of-the-table clash, depending on Mjallby’s performance against Djurgarden tonight.

In other action last night, GAIS, known for their draws, finally secured their first victory in six games, climbing to sixth place temporarily after Ibrahim Diabate’s hat-trick led them to a 3-1 win over Halmstad.

The home side’s Yannick Agnero scored for the fifth consecutive match to put his team ahead.

However, Halmstad couldn’t contain Diabate, who equalised with a header midway through the first half, went around the keeper to score shortly after half-time, and then finished off a powerful low strike into the bottom corner in the final 10 minutes.

As a result, Halmstad remains just outside the relegation zone after seeing their two-match winning streak come to an end.