Mjällby makes history with first-ever Champions League win
Swedish champions Mjällby AIF delivered a dream debut in European football last night, securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps in the first leg of the Champions League’s second qualifying round.
Playing in front of their 7,000-capacity Strandvallen stadium, the Swedish side dominated from the opening whistle, with goals from Faroese forward Aki Samuelsen (18’, 24’) and Swedish midfielder Jacob Bergström (31’) sealing the win before half-time. Samuelsen nearly completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute, but saw his penalty saved, leaving the scoreline unchanged in the second half under manager Karl Marius Aksum’s watchful eye.
Next challenge in Gibraltar
The return leg is set for next Tuesday at 18:00 local time in Gibraltar. The victor will advance to face either Georgia’s Iberia 1999 or Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava—who secured a 2-0 away win last night—in the third qualifying round.
Other standout fixtures in the second qualifying round included clashes between Fenerbahçe and Thun, Dinamo Zagreb and Hearts, Red Star Belgrade and Kairat Almaty, and Slovan Bratislava’s triumph over their rivals.
