Djurgården claimed a 2:3 victory over Växjö at home in the Damallsvenskan on Friday. The result keeps the visitors in 10th place with 18 points, while Växjö remain 11th on 17 points after 17 league matches each.
And here's the thing about the opening exchanges — Växjö took an early lead through U. Watanabe's penalty in the 20th minute, but Djurgården answered almost immediately. O. Ulenius equalised in the 23rd, and that proved to be the pattern all afternoon.
N. Karlsson turned it on in the second half. She opened with a goal in the 54th minute, then added her second in the 66th after S. Amano had been brought on two minutes earlier. By then Växjö were chasing the game, and the substitution storm began — J. Renmark, M. Gros, M. Hirosawa, T. Sanden all came on.
Watanabe pulled one back in the 89th minute, but the visitors had already secured the win. A goal was recorded in the 90th minute, though the scorer wasn't specified in the match data. U. Watanabe and S. Redenstrand each picked up yellow cards in the closing stages.
Statistics told a familiar story. Växjö dominated possession at 53 per cent and registered 86 attacks compared to 78, but Djurgården were more clinical. Nine shots on target at 82 per cent accuracy against six at 67 per cent — and that made the difference.
To be fair, both sides had similar numbers in corners — six to four — and neither team was flagged for offside. The yellow cards balanced out at one each, and no reds were shown despite the intensity.
The result means Djurgården move a point clear of Växjö in the table, though both sides remain mid-table with plenty of ground to make up. The visitors' efficiency with their chances may prove more valuable than the hosts' territorial control.