Danish League Round-Up: Mortensen Nets Hat-Trick as Vejle Pulls Off Stunning Away Victory

With FC Copenhagen not scheduled to play until Monday night, FC Midtjylland took the opportunity to claim top spot in the Danish Superliga. This came on a day when Vejle pulled off an unexpected victory against Silkeborg, Patrick Mortensen netted a hat-trick in Haderslev, and the clash between AaB and FC Nordsjaelland in Aalborg was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

FC Midtjylland entered their match against Lyngby nursing wounds from a disappointing Europa League defeat to Real Sociedad on Thursday. Had Lyngby converted numerous missed chances against Thomas Thomasberg’s side, it could have been another tough day for the home team.

However, the Danish champions found their fortune in the 33rd minute when Adam Buksa converted a penalty after Lyngby goalkeeper Jannich Storch collided with him in the box. This goal came completely against the run of play, as the visitors had dominated the early exchanges, yet they failed to capitalise on their chances.

In the final 30 minutes, FC Midtjylland appeared more controlled, ultimately claiming three points on a day when they were far from their best.

Heading into the match, Vejle had attracted significant attention after the sacking of Romanian coach Mihai Teja. In a further twist, a consortium of 11 investors took over the club from Andrew Zolotkos just before the Superliga’s resumption.

For Vejle to avoid relegation this season, a miracle would be required. They took the first significant step towards that miracle with a surprising 1-0 victory against Silkeborg IF away from home.

Silkeborg struggled to find their rhythm throughout the clash, failing to produce their usual elegant interplay while Vejle proved resilient in the frosty Jutland conditions.

The turning point came just five minutes after the restart when German forward Onugkha directed a cross from David Čolina into the far corner, giving Vejle a shock lead. The home side never truly recovered from this blow and missed the chance to keep pace with the league’s top teams.

This week, AGF extended the contract of star striker Patrick Mortensen for another year, a decision that proved wise after he scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 victory over Sonderjyske, propelling AGF into third place in the domestic league.

Both teams initially found it challenging to settle, with neither creating clear scoring opportunities. However, between the 24th and 26th minutes, AGF turned the game in their favour: Mortensen capitalised on a mistake by Sonderjyske goalkeeper Marcus Bundgaard, and Icelandic midfielder Mikael Andersen struck a powerful long-range shot into the net.

Although Ivan Djantou offered the home side hope with a goal in the 34th minute, Mortensen’s two additional goals left Sonderjyske visibly deflated. Even after AGF’s Mads Emil Madsen received a second booking and was sent off in the 66th minute, the home side struggled to find their way back into the match.