Allsvenskan Weekly: Late Equaliser from Norrköping Thwarts Mjällby’s Grip on the Top Spot

Mjallby are holding onto the top spot in the Allsvenskan after conceding a late equaliser during their match against Norrköping on Monday night. The three teams directly below them all secured victories over the weekend, resulting in the top four being closely contested with just three points separating them.

Mjallby celebrated a significant win on Thursday, defeating fellow title contenders Hammarby, which allowed them to pull three points clear of AIK, who managed a goalless draw against Malmö.

Malmö, struggling to keep pace with the leading quartet, suffered another setback on Sunday, losing 1-0 to IFK Göteborg in an away fixture.

Just before the hour mark, Tobias Heintz delivered a well-placed free kick that Kolbeinn Thordarson headed in, securing all three points for Göteborg. This victory marked their second in a row following a difficult stretch of one win from their previous six matches.

The champions found themselves six points adrift of European qualification following Elfsborg’s comprehensive 4-1 triumph over Halmstad, marking the fifth consecutive win for the team from Borås.

A Simon Hedlund penalty tucked down the middle and a deflected shot from Frederik Ihler put Elfsborg firmly in control early on. Although Ibrahim Buhari’s own goal gave Halmstad a glimmer of hope just before half-time, Rasmus Wikström’s header from a corner restored Elfsborg’s advantage before Taylor Silverholt completed the scoring with a neat finish, taking advantage of a slip from the Halmstad defence. Despite the loss, Halmstad are managing to stay just above the relegation zone.

AIK briefly eliminated Mjallby’s three-point lead for a day but remained in second place due to goal difference after securing a 1-0 away win against Brommapojkarna, even after finishing the match with ten players.

Luck was on the Solna side’s side when Daleho Irandust’s penalty was saved by Kristoffer Nordfeldt midway through the first half. They capitalised just before half-time when Bersant Celina’s shot rebounded to Johan Hove, who netted the winner.

Anton Saletros was dismissed with 12 minutes remaining for a second yellow card, but Brommapojkarna failed to find an equaliser, suffering their fourth successive defeat.

Mjallby were aware that a win against Norrköping on Monday would maintain their position, and it was looking promising when Ludwig Thorell scored with a beautiful curling finish just before half-time.

Despite having ample opportunities to secure the victory, the Hallevik side found themselves under pressure in the second half. Norrköping found a deserved equaliser five minutes from time when Arnor Traustason netted a free kick from 25 yards.

The draw sees Mjallby on 27 points, one point ahead of AIK, while Elfsborg sits on 25 points but has a game in hand over the top two.

Hammarby remains in fourth position, one point behind Elfsborg and five points clear of Malmö after securing a 1-0 victory at home against Degerfors on Monday night.

After a slow start, the hosts finally broke through with a low strike from the edge of the area by Nahir Besara after an hour, securing a much-needed victory for Bajen after two previous outings without a win. Degerfors, on the other hand, have now lost three of their last four matches.

In other fixtures, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Sirius at home has lifted GAIS to seventh place, overtaking Häcken, who were held to a 1-1 draw away at Djurgården.

In the contest between the bottom two teams, a last-minute equaliser from Lukas Bergqvist denied Värnamo their first win of the season, resulting in a 1-1 draw against Öster, who remain five points clear of their hosts.