Allsvenskan Weekly: Defending Champions Secure Victory as Faraj Shines with a Five-Goal Stunner for Newcomers

Malmo kicked off their pursuit of a third consecutive league title with a win in the opening match of the 2025 Allsvenskan season. However, the early surprise leaders are newly-promoted Degerfors, who made a spectacular return to the top division by dismantling Halmstad with an astonishing five goals from Omar Faraj.

The season opener on Saturday showcased a clash between two of Sweden’s football heavyweights, as UEFA Conference League quarter-finalists Djurgarden hosted Malmo at 3Arena.

Prior to kick-off, the enthusiastic crowd paid tribute to Haris Radetinac, whose impressive 11-year tenure with the Stockholm club concluded in December, marking the occasion with an emotional farewell.

The electrifying atmosphere seemed to energise Djurgarden, who aggressively took the game to Malmo in the early stages. However, they struggled to find a breakthrough in front of goal, with Tokmac Nguen coming closest with a curling shot from 25 yards that struck the crossbar.

Djurgarden’s inability to convert their chances proved costly just before half-time, when Malmo moved the ball cleverly across the six-yard box, leading to an unmarked Jens Stryger Larsen who slotted the ball home.

In the second half, the home side continued to push for an equaliser, finally crafting a clear opportunity in the 92nd minute. However, Marcus Danielsson inexplicably volleyed over from mere yards out.

The victory for Malmo marks their sixth consecutive season opener win, a promising sign as they’ve claimed the title in four of the last five instances.

After a relegation two seasons ago, Degerfors made an immediate return to the Allsvenskan, and after their stunning 5-0 away triumph over Halmstad on Sunday, it’s difficult to envision they’d ever fallen out of the top flight.

Omar Faraj was the star of the show, netting all five goals in a match that will forever be etched in the memories of him and Degerfors supporters.

His first goal came from a composed finish into the bottom corner just before the half-time whistle, before he bundled in a second goal ten minutes into the second half.

The Palestinian international achieved his hat-trick in the 74th minute from the penalty spot and was then afforded too much space to turn at the edge of the box, calmly guiding the ball past Halmstad’s goalkeeper, Tim Ronning, for his fourth.

A careless challenge in the dying moments allowed him to convert a second penalty, which he executed with precision, sending the keeper the wrong way to complete the rout.

This is an outstanding start for Degerfors and their new manager, William Lundin, who celebrated just his second Allsvenskan victory as a manager, following a solitary win while serving as caretaker for Goteborg in 2023.

Roundup: Hammarby thrashes Goteborg

While it may be premature to draw conclusions from the first round of matches, if Goteborg’s opening 90 minutes of the 2025 season are any indication, the 13-time champions could be in for another challenging year.

The Gothenburg side suffered a harsh 4-0 defeat at the hands of last year’s runners-up, Hammarby, who efficiently scored two goals in each half and could have added a fifth, had Nahir Besara not squandered a penalty just five minutes after netting the third.

Norrkoping, meanwhile, barely held on for a 4-3 victory against 2025’s other new side, Oster. The home team appeared to be in a comfortable position, until Mattis Adolfsson scored twice for Oster in the last 12 minutes, while Tim Prica received a red card in injury time, making for a tense finish – but the 10 men managed to cling on.

On Saturday, two goals from Amor Layouni secured a 2-0 win for Hacken against Brommapojkarna. Then on Sunday, Mjallby let slip a 2-0 advantage against Elfsborg, ending in a 2-2 draw in the second half.

Away victories were claimed on Monday evening, with Marcus Lindberg netting a dramatic 95th-minute winner for Sirius in a 2-1 defeat of Varnamo, while Bersant Celina sealed the deal for AIK with a goal in the dying moments to tip the clash against GAIS 1-0.