Djurgarden Stun Rapid Vienna with Extra-Time Heroics to Reach European Semi-Final
Wow, what a night it was in Vienna! Djurgardens IF delivered an absolutely unforgettable performance, overturning a first-leg deficit to thrash Rapid Vienna 4-1 after extra time and seal their place in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history. If you missed this one, buckle up, because it had everything – drama, goals, red cards, VAR twists, and a stunning show of resilience from the Swedes.
Coming into this second leg, Djurgarden had it all to do. They were trailing 1-0 on aggregate, facing a solid Rapid side at the formidable Allianz Stadion. The Austrian hosts had been undefeated at home in Europe, and with their passionate crowd behind them, they looked the favourites. But football is nothing if not unpredictable.
Just seven minutes in, the game flipped. Mamadou Sangare, who missed the first leg, was sent off after VAR upgraded his yellow to red. That gave Djurgarden a man advantage early on, but they couldn’t immediately capitalise. In fact, it was a tough slog – chances were there, but so was Rapid’s resilience. Then, VAR stepped in again. A handball by Jonas Auer gave Djurgarden a penalty, and Marcus Danielson coolly converted to level the tie in the 42nd minute.
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But just minutes later, chaos. A miscommunication saw Djurgarden’s Jacob Une-Larsson head the ball into his own net, restoring Rapid’s aggregate lead. Tension rose again. It felt like a cruel twist, but Djurgarden weren’t done.
Fast forward to the 77th minute – enter Keita Kosugi. After a corner was only partially cleared, he smashed home a gorgeous strike to send the game into extra time. By then, Rapid were running on fumes, and Djurgarden knew it.
Three minutes into extra time, Tobias Gulliksen announced himself. A scorching 25-yard drive put Djurgarden ahead, and he wasn’t done. Right before the break in extra time, he added another – a slick finish off a smart cutback from August Priske. 4-1 on the night. Absolute scenes.
As if it couldn’t get worse for Rapid, a nasty tackle from Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao saw them reduced to nine men. From there, it was all but done. Djurgarden saw out the game with control, passion, and purpose.
Massive credit to coach Jani Honkavaara and his team – despite their struggles domestically and the loss of last season’s top scorer Deniz Hummet, they pulled together for one of the club’s greatest European nights. Tobias Gulliksen, unsurprisingly, was named man of the match. The kid was electric.
Now, Djurgarden are through to the semi-finals where they’ll face Chelsea – a true European giant. It’s a daunting task, but after this performance, who’s counting them out? This is the kind of European fairytale that reminds us why we love football. Passion, fight, and history in the making. What a night for Djurgardens IF.
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