Djurgården vs Chelsea: Five Notable Anglo-Swedish Showdowns in European Football History

This season has already been monumental for Djurgarden; the Stockholm outfit has not only advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League (UECL) but also set a new benchmark for Swedish clubs, becoming the first side from Sweden to reach the last four of a UEFA competition since 1987.

Just like the IFK Goteborg team that made a deep run in the UEFA Cup 38 years ago, Djurgarden harbours aspirations not only to reach the final but to claim the trophy as well. However, they face a formidable challenge ahead — tomorrow evening, they will host Chelsea at the 3Arena for the first leg of their semi-final.

The Blues have significantly outclassed their opponents in Europe’s third-tier competition this season, boasting a budget and squad depth that has overwhelmed every rival faced. Chelsea has cruised through the League Phase, winning all six matches before eliminating FC Copenhagen and Legia Warsaw in the knockout stages.

A two-legged triumph for Jani Honkavaara’s injury-stricken squad would be considered a remarkable upset. Nonetheless, they can take heart from Chelsea’s vulnerability, as the London side was beaten in the second leg of their quarter-final away in Poland, despite having secured a comfortable win in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Not to mention, Swedish teams have a knack for pulling off surprises against English clubs in UEFA tournaments.

While Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 win over Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) earlier this season marked the 19th victory for English clubs in encounters against Swedish rivals, the 12 drawn matches and five wins for Swedish teams across 36 clashes show that outcomes are never a foregone conclusion.

Despite a rich European legacy, Djurgarden has never faced an English club in a competitive setting apart from a first-round Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tie against Manchester United in 1964. Having drawn the home leg 1-1, Djurgarden suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat in the return fixture at Old Trafford.

5. Arsenal 1-2 Ostersund – 2017/18 UEFA Europa League – Round of 32, Second Leg

We begin our countdown with the last occasion a Swedish team triumphed over an English side in a competitive match.

West Ham United manager Graham Potter may not be enjoying the best of times in London, but such was not the case in early 2018, when he was building a reputation for himself in English football.

Since becoming manager of Ostersund in 2011, he led the club from the depths of the Swedish fourth tier to the Allsvenskan within four years, and a Svenska Cupen victory in 2017 secured a place in the 2017/18 UEL.

Ostersund defeated Galatasaray in qualifying and subsequently finished second in a group featuring Athletic Club and Hertha Berlin, making history as the first Swedish team to advance from a UEL group, thereby setting the stage for a matchup with Arsenal in the Round of 32.

Arsene Wenger’s men were expected to win comfortably, and that seemed to be the script as the first leg unfolded. With goals from Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil alongside a deflected own goal from Sotirios Papagiannopoulos, Arsenal secured a 3-0 victory, heading to the second leg primed for a cricket score.

However, a shock was in store for the Gunners — Ostersund took the lead midway through the first half with a deflected shot by Hosam Aiesh. Merely 70 seconds later, Ken Sema struck powerfully past David Ospina, putting the Swedish side 2-0 ahead on the night, and the tie was very much alive.

Though Ostersund fell just short of a miraculous comeback, with a Sead Kolasinac goal early in the second half quelling their challenge, the 2-1 win in 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium marked a significant highlight of the club’s swift ascent, serving as a fitting conclusion to the Potter era before he departed for Swansea City later that year.

4. Chelsea 3-0 Malmo – 2018/19 UEFA Europa League, Round of 32, Second Leg

Djurgarden fans might prefer to look away now. Chelsea’s record against Swedish teams is nearly flawless, including a victory at Stamford Bridge that propelled them toward success.

A year after Ostersund’s achievement, Malmo found themselves without luck in London, still reeling from a 2-1 defeat in the first leg in Sweden.

In the second leg, it took Chelsea until the second half to take command, with Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley, and Callum Hudson-Odoi all finding the back of the net.

While this win may not stand out in memory, it was crucial in paving the way for Chelsea’s journey to the Final; they subsequently overcame Dynamo Kyiv, Slavia Prague, and Eintracht Frankfurt before thrashing Arsenal 4-1 in the final in Baku, adding a second UEL title to their accolades.

Who was the first team to defeat Blackburn Rovers either home or away in the season they clinched the Premier League title? That’s right — excluding the Charity Shield, it was Trelleborg.

The club from a town of 40,000 enjoyed its heyday in the early to mid-1990s, achieving a third-place finish in the Allsvenskan in 1994, but were expected to be no match against a financially dominant Blackburn, also thriving under Kenny Dalglish at that time.

Rovers were unbeaten in their first five league matches when Trelleborg stunned them at Ewood Park, with Fredrik Sandell sprinting past the home defence to net the winner with 18 minutes remaining.

Impressively, Joachim Karlsson equalised on two occasions after Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton gave Blackburn the lead twice, resulting in a 2-2 draw at Vangavallen and a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Trelleborg’s only European campaign to date concluded in the subsequent round after a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Lazio.

2. IFK Goteborg 3-1 Manchester United – 1994/95 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage

Manchester United’s early European adventures under Sir Alex Ferguson were not their finest; they are often remembered merely for a consolation goal from Peter Schmeichel and the infamous ‘Welcome to Hell’ match against Galatasaray in 1993.

The following year, United faced their ‘hell’ in the colder climate of Gothenburg, where a damaging loss played a significant role in their exit during the group stages.

Goteborg were considered the underdogs in a group that also featured Galatasaray and Barcelona, but after suffering a 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford, they achieved victories against both the Spanish and Turkish sides at home, while United only managed to earn one point against those same teams.

A heavy 4-0 loss at the Camp Nou, paired with IFK’s victory in Istanbul, put the pressure firmly on United to secure a result at Gamla Ullevi.

Although the visitors thought they had gained control when Mark Hughes volleyed in an equaliser to Jesper Blomqvist’s opener, Magnus Erlingmark restored the lead mere seconds later with Blomqvist once again at the heart of the action.

Pontus Kamark sealed the 3-1 victory via a penalty, propelling Goteborg to the top of the group before narrowly departing in the quarter-finals on away goals to Bayern Munich — the last Swedish team to reach the last eight of a UEFA competition until Djurgarden’s recent accomplishment.

United finished third in the group, and it wouldn’t be until four more seasons, with Blomqvist in their ranks, that they finally lifted the UEFA Champions League title.

1. Nottingham Forest 1-0 Malmo – 1978/79 European Cup Final

There is no doubt who occupies the top spot on this list — the only instance of both England and Sweden being represented in European football’s most prestigious club match.

This remains the sole occasion a Swedish club has reached the European Cup or UEFA Champions League Final, with Nottingham Forest’s journey ensuring a duel between two teams making their Final debuts at Munich’s Olympiastadion.

Brian Clough’s side had stunned English football by clinching the league title just one year after being promoted from the second tier, before raising eyebrows across Europe by eliminating reigning champions Liverpool in the first round. They would then go on to defeat AEK Athens, Grasshoppers, and FC Cologne to reach the Final.

Malmo, managed by the young Englishman Bob Houghton, who was only 31 at the time, navigated their own path by overcoming Monaco, Dynamo Kyiv, Wisla Krakow, and Austria Wien, boasting six clean sheets in eight matches leading up to the showpiece.

The match itself was not an enthralling spectacle; both teams were missing key players, forcing Malmo into a more counter-attacking style than usual. Yet, their defensive strategy did not reap rewards.

The only goal came just before half-time, with John Robertson streaking down the left flank to deliver a cross that Trevor Francis met at the far post, smashing it into the net.

Francis, the first player signed for £1 million, was not eligible to play for Forest’s run to the final due to UEFA regulations that prevented him from featuring until three months after joining. Remarkably, the final in Munich represented Francis’ first European appearance.

Forest later defended their 1979 title, capturing the trophy again in 1980, defeating Oster along the way during a period of dominance that saw the trophy bestowed upon England seven times in eight years.