Anders Svensson pays tribute to his Elfsborg after the huge shock against Roma.
Photo: MAXIM THORÉ / BILDBYRÅN
Elfsborg roared and won 1-0 at home against Roma in the Europa League. After the match, club icon Anders Svensson was lyrical.
– A fantastic effort. This team fears no opposition. They fight for each other, when Roma were going through, the last players came and sacrificed themselves, he says and continues:
– I was a little worried in the first half when Elfsborg created hot chances but didn’t score. When you meet a team this good, you usually have to score because otherwise you are punished. But they worked it out and then came the penalty.
How nervous was it for you?
– It gets nervous and you get dragged into it, of course. But it didn’t feel like Roma created a lot of chances. And when they did, goalkeeper Isak Pettersson was there.
How much does this mean for Elfsborg?
– It doesn’t get much bigger than this. Getting out in the Europa League but still not really satisfied. You’re not just here to participate, you’re here to win games.
“Elfsborg will get respect”
Is there someone in the team you want to highlight?
– I’m looking extra at my own position in the middle, and there Zeneli and Ouma did an incredible job. But Hedlund and Hult are also doing incredibly well today on the edges. It’s a very difficult role, should you dare to step up or should you back away? But they did incredibly well.
Do you think Elfsborg has any chance of advancing?
– I have a bad grasp of the table now. But they can do well against any team. Bigger teams tend to rotate a bit against smaller teams, but if Elfsborg continues to do well, they will get respect and then maybe Tottenham, who they have in the last round, will field a better team.
READ MORE: Big bang in Borås: Elfsborg beat Roma
