Two-goal Rosenberg fires Malmö into group stage
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
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Malmö FF 3-0 FC Salzburg (agg: 4-2)
The Swedish club are through to the group stage for the first time thanks to two goals from their Malmo-born forward Markus Rosenberg.
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• Malmö FF go through to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time
• They are the first Swedish club to achieve the feat since Helsingborgs IF in 2000
• Two goals from Markus Rosenberg sandwich Magnus Eriksson's volley
• FC Salzburg enter the UEFA Europa League, having reached the last 16 in 2013/14
• Malmö have not lost or conceded a goal in their last seven European home games
Local hero Rosenberg started and finished the scoring as Malmö came from behind on aggregate against Salzburg to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time.
Trailing 2-1 from the play-off first leg in Austria, Malmö wiped out their deficit after 11 minutes. Skipper Rosenberg sent Eriksson through on goal and after his strike partner was brought down by visiting keeper Péter Gulácsi, the Swedish Allsvenskan leaders' No9 put his penalty straight down the middle.
The crowd were now in fine voice and the decibel level ratcheted up a notch further when Eriksson made it 2-0 eight minutes later with a stunning left-footed volley from 30 metres.
Content with their lead, Malmö adopted a more defensive mindset after the break as the Austrian title holders pressed hard for the goal that would bring them back into the tie.
Having withstood some intense pressure, often with all 11 men deep inside their half, Åge Hareide's men made sure of their presence in Thursday's group stage draw through Malmo-born Rosenberg's tension-easing finish six minutes from time.