Honkavaara Confident in Djurgarden’s Progress: ‘Our Game is Sufficient’

In a tough encounter marred by injuries and suspensions, Djurgarden succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to SK Rapid in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League (UECL) Quarter-Final last week in Stockholm. Despite this setback, head coach Jani Honkavaara maintains that his team has a chance to progress to the semi-finals, provided they can enhance their performance in key areas.

The Iron Stoves are set to face Rapid in Vienna for tomorrow’s second leg (21:00), with aspirations of reaching their first-ever European Semi-Final.

Honkavaara addressed the media today, expressing his excitement for what promises to be an intense 90 minutes or more ahead.

“Matches like this are always thrilling, especially with so much on the line. I believe we played well against Rapid at home, but the away leg will present a different and more challenging scenario. To contend effectively, we need to elevate our performance and, crucially, find the back of the net.”

Scoring woes plagued the side at 3Arena last Thursday, as the absence of their top scorer in the tournament, Tokmac Nguen, along with Daniel Svensson due to suspensions, compounded the team’s problems. This predicament restricted Honkavaara to just seven substitutes compared to Rapid’s full complement of 11.

In a twist, Rapid will see the return of Mamadou Sangare, a talented defensive midfielder who missed the first leg.

“Having Tokmac Nguen and Daniel Stensson back is crucial for us. Apart from that, we have no new injuries to report, although there can be lingering effects after such a tightly contested match. It’s not ideal for us, and we will assess the team’s condition, but we remain hopeful that we will avoid any issues.

Regarding the match, the Finnish coach urged his players to adhere to their game plan, irrespective of how long it may take to realise results. “It’s vital to maintain patience, depending on how the game unfolds, and to focus on our own strategy,” he articulated.

Both teams faced local derbies over the weekend, but it was Rapid who came away with the bragging rights, defeating city rivals Austria Vienna 2-0. Meanwhile, Djurgarden’s difficult start to the Allsvenskan season continued with a 2-0 loss to Hammarby, another Stockholm side.

“It’s going to be a brief recovery period before the match, where we’ve focused on both physical and mental recovery after Sunday’s derby.

“We’ve moved past that defeat and must continue to put in the hard work and trust in our beliefs. Now we have a challenging task ahead, and we are entirely focused on delivering our best possible performance on Thursday,” stated the Djurgarden manager.

Lastly, Honkavaara identified areas where his team could find success against their Viennese rivals while reiterating the importance of sticking to their game plan. “Rapid is a well-organised team that attempted to press us higher in the first match but quickly fell back into a defensive setup.

“We need to capitalise on our opportunities more swiftly and exploit their weaknesses, particularly the spaces they leave open on the opposite side. We need to make the most of that, but fundamentally, our own game should be sufficient to secure a victory if we execute our plan effectively,” he concluded.