Hammarby saw off Apolonia Fier 4-0 in the second qualifying round semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League. The match took place on 5 August 2026 and saw the Swedish side impose themselves from the first whistle. Apolonia offered little resistance throughout.
And here's the thing about the opening stages — Hammarby pressed high and Apolonia struggled to breathe. The visitors got dragged out of position time and again, which meant the midfield was constantly under pressure. By then it was clear this would not be a contest that stayed close.
M. Nyhagen broke the deadlock in the 41st minute with a composed finish. Just before the interval E. Sorum converted a penalty to double the lead. G. Ameyaa collected a yellow card in the same period for Apolonia. The home side had ended a barren spell and were now in control.
Hammarby switched to a back three at half-time and it showed. M. Janzen added a third in the 57th minute, capitalising on space created by the defensive reshuffle. S. Lennartsson came on for Apolonia in the 46th minute but could not shift the momentum. One mistake ends it, and Apolonia kept making them.
Two more substitutions followed in the second half for Hammarby — M. Mema and F. Peterson both came on in the 59th minute. E. Sorum was replaced in the 68th minute after a full performance. G. Arnardottir received a yellow card for Apolonia in the 61st minute as frustration mounted.
The final goal arrived in stoppage time. Katiele scored an own goal in the 90+4th minute, compounding the visitors' misery. Both Katiele and M. Nyhagen were substituted in the 74th minute, though the result was already decided. A yellow card was shown to an Apolonia player as the match wound down.
Hammarby now sit unbeaten in their last five matches, with four wins and one draw. They had previously beaten Växjö 5-0 and Norrköping 4-0 in recent fixtures. The result puts them firmly on the brink of a move into the next round of the competition.