Malmö FF’s Europa Cup run ended in a late reversal, not in a match Ajax controlled from the outset. Malmö entered the return leg in Skåne holding a 2–1 advantage from the away match and kept the score at 0–0 until the 86th minute. Two Ajax goals in four minutes then transformed the tie.
Bo van Egmond put Ajax 1–0 ahead in the 86th minute, Dagens Nyheter reported. That score would have sent the match to extra time. Instead, Sherida Spitse made it 2–0 in the 90th minute and sent Ajax into the quarter-finals.
The elimination needs to be described in proportion. Malmö protected their first-leg advantage for most of the return match and were close to progressing. But knockout football does not reward a strong position for 85 minutes when the closing stretch unravels: the two late goals decided the entire tie.
The immediate Swedish consequence is settled. Ajax will face Hammarby in a two-legged quarter-final in February. Hammarby advanced after a 4–0 home win over Slovakia’s Spartak Myjava, 7–1 on aggregate, DN reported.
The available material contains no post-match response from Malmö, Ajax or their coaches. The central sequence is nevertheless clear: Malmö remained in a qualifying position until the final stages, before Ajax claimed the place with goals in the 86th and 90th minutes.
Sources
- Dagens Nyheter · Source date: 2026-11-11
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-11