‘We Must Perform Better’: Djurgården Coach Honkavaara Calls for Enhanced Effort in Second Leg

Djurgarden’s head coach, Jani Honkavaara, has urged his players to rise to the occasion in tonight’s second leg of their UEFA Conference League (UECL) Round of 16 clash against Pafos, kicking off at 18:45 CET.

After a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Cyprus, where former Swedish international Maumer Tankovic netted the decisive goal, Djurgarden must secure a victory in 90 minutes at 3Arena to have any chance of progressing to their first European Quarter-final since the very first European Cup in 1955/56.

Finnish manager Honkavaara, who took the reins at the beginning of this year after the team finished fifth in the League Phase, has articulated his expectations for a successful turnaround against a formidable opponent.

“Pafos is an impressive team with a wealth of individual talent. They were very aggressive last time, and we struggled to find our rhythm. We must perform better when we possess the ball,” he remarked earlier this week.

To counteract their opponents’ individual prowess, Honkavaara wants his squad to focus on the man-to-man aspects of their game. “Pafos is so strong that we can’t simply rely on responding to their pressure. Players need to win individual duels and address situations one-on-one, as time on the ball will be limited.”

Unfortunately for Djurgarden, they will miss Marcus Danielson due to suspension after he accrued his third yellow card in the UECL this season.

In addition to keeping an eye on Tankovic, the home team must also remain vigilant against another Swedish player, Ken Sema, who was recently named in Jon Dahl Tomasson’s squad for the March international fixtures.

Following a defeat to Goteborg in the Svenska Cupen prior to the first leg, Djurgarden risks extending their competitive losses to three consecutive matches.

The situation hardly improved over the weekend, as The Iron Stoves fell 2-1 in a friendly against Brommapojkarna.

With the aim of halting their downward spiral and becoming the first Swedish club in three decades to reach the quarter-finals of any European competition, Honkavaara’s final message is direct:

“Now it’s time for us to elevate our game and truly demonstrate what we can achieve.”