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Elfsborg save face in final outing

Elfsborg came from behind to beat Standard Liege 3-1 and avoid last place in Europa League Group C.The sides drew 1-1 on matchday two and that scoreline was replicated by half-time back in Belgium, as Lasse Nilsson cancelled out Yanis Mbombo's excellent opener.But Nilsson and Mikkel Beckmann struck in the six minutes following half-time to ensure victory for the Swedish side.Standard had two good chances early in proceedings, with Frederic Bulot heading against the crossbar before Igor De Camargo shot wide.Ronnie Stam's 20-yard drive was then fielded by keeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard before Elfsborg finally showed as an attacking threat.Beckmann shot wide from near the penalty spot before Anders Svensson let fly from 25 yards, forcing Yohann Thuram-Ulien into a flying save.But shortly after the half-hour mark, Mbombo lit up the game with a glorious curling effort into the top corner from 20 yards on his first European appearance.Beckmann shot wide from distance but Elfsborg's equaliser arrived four minutes before the break when Viktor Claesson threaded a superb pass through the defence and Nilsson fired into the bottom corner.And just 30 seconds after the interval, he scored his second and put his side ahead after the ball broke to him just inside the box.Thuram-Ulien made a good save from Simon Hedlund's drive but was soon culpable for Elfsborg's third goal as Beckmann's volley, from Nilsson's cross, squirmed through his grasp.Svensson and Nilsson both fired over from long range but Standard could have pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute when substitute Dudu Biton hit the woodwork when well placed.Stuhr-Ellegard saved another Biton effort, from Stam's corner, and Standard could find no way back, Elfsborg going closest late on when Marcus Rohden's drive was parried by Thuram-Ulien.

PA Sport

Meilinger effort enough at Elfsborg

Red Bull Salzburg made it five wins from five in Europa League Group C as Marco Meilinger's first goal for the Austrian club secured a 1-0 victory at Elfsborg.The 22-year-old midfielder was best placed to tuck home Christian Schwegler's cross midway through the second half, keeping Salzburg three points clear of Esbjerg in the race to top the standings.They look certain to do so unless the Danes, who beat Standard Liege 2-1 on Thursday night, can pull off a free-scoring win at the Red Bull Arena in two weeks' time.It was, however, a fourth defeat in five for Sweden's Elfsborg, who visit Liege on matchday six with a view to possibly snatching third spot from the Belgians and taking the edge off a poor campaign.To the casual observer it would clearly become apparent which side had been comfortable in the group and which one had floundered, as Salzburg dominated from the first whistle.Stefan Ilsanker tested Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard's reflexes with an early sighter from distance and Florian Klein blasted over the Elfsborg bar in the 22nd minute.The opening goal arrived six minutes before half-time as Schwegler delivered the ball into the box from the right, and it was quickly dispatched by the lurking Meilinger.Elfsborg appeared to wake up slightly as the break approached but Niklas Hult could only screw his finish over Peter Gulasci's crossbar.Although the hosts managed to better close ranks in the second half, there was little to cheer for fans of either team, who sat through 45 dull minutes which bore only two shots on goal.When the first arrived it caused home goalkeeper Abbas Hassan - a half-time replacement for Stuhr-Ellegaard - plenty of problems as he sprawled to parry Sadio Mane's effort to safety.Havard Nielsen was the next, and last man, to try his luck but could not find the target as the ball whizzed past Hassan's goalmouth before the game fizzled out to its scrappy conclusion.

Esbjerg squeeze through

Esbjerg qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League thanks to a 1-0 win over Elfsborg.Mick van Buren scored the only goal of the game in the 71st minute to give Esbjerg an eight-point cushion over their Scandinavian rivals in third with just two matches remaining.It was a deserved win for Esbjerg who will now battle leaders Salzburg for top spot in Group C.Elfsborg goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard was called upon with less than a minute gone when he was forced to punch clear Peter Ankersen's corner.Esbjerg had the better of the opening exchanges without creating any clear chances.Mikkel Beckmann's drilled 20-yard shot was comfortable for Esbjerg goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow before Emil Lyng volleyed wide for the hosts.Mushaga Bakenga's close-range header was easily held by Stuhr-Ellegaard before the same player forced the keeper into a superb parry with a headed effort from the centre of the area.All the hosts' best chances were going through Bakenga, Stuhr-Ellegaard again called on to make a fine block from the striker's shot from the centre of the area shortly before half-time.There was little of note at the start of the second half with both teams hitting weak efforts until Emil Lyng almost put the hosts ahead with a 25-yard drilled shot that hit the post.Ankersen's shot was parried by Stuhr-Ellegaard but the midfielder could only send his follow-up effort weakly over the bar.At long last Esbjerg got the goal their domination deserved.Ankersen's cross from the left of the area found Van Buren in the six-yard box and the substitute slotted home into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.Elfsborg almost levelled minutes later and the hosts were grateful to Ronnow who tipped over Mikkel Beckmann's 20-yard curling free-kick.Another long-range effort by Beckmann was easily held by the keeper and Claesson fired over as the visitors sought an equaliser with Ronnow forced to parry Simon Hedlund's drilled close-range shot

Elfsborg

SOCCER

Esbjerg take vital win

Danish side Esbjerg took a big step towards the last 32 of the Europa League on Thursday evening with a 2-1 Group C victory over Elfsborg in Sweden.Captain Hans Henrik Andreasen scored both goals for the visitors with tidy headers, and, although Jon Jonsson's brilliant free-kick halved the deficit midway through the second half, the hosts could not force an equaliser.The result kept Esbjerg second in the pool on six points from three games - three points behind leaders Salzburg - and left Elfsborg with just the one point from three games.Andreasen gave Esbjerg the perfect start, nodding Jonas Knudsen's left-wing cross into the bottom-right corner from the first noteworthy attack.Niels Frederiksen's side continued to look the more likely to add to the scoring as the half wore on, although Peter Ankersen's shot and an Andreasen header were comfortably dealt with by Elfsborg goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard.Elfsborg mustered two decent opportunities in the final seven minutes of the first half, though, with Esbjerg goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow - who until then had been a virtual spectator - alert enough to pull off fine saves on both occasions.He first parried Johan Larsson's fierce 20-yard free-kick and then tipped Viktor Claesson's header around the post from Stefan Ishizaki's corner to ensure Esbjerg headed in ahead at the interval.Elfsborg continued to press forward in search of an equaliser after the restart but failed to unduly trouble Ronnow, who punched an Ishizaki drive away and then looked on as Lasse Nilsson blasted wide and Mohamed Bangura just failed to direct his header on target from Ishizaki's corner.When the second goal arrived, however, it again fell to Andreasen, the midfielder deadly when meeting Ankersen's cross from the right in the 66th minute.The two-goal lead did not last for long, Jonsson sending a wonderful free-kick into the top-right corner moments later after Bangura had been fouled by Kian Hansen, but that was as good as it got for Elfsborg.Ronnow fisted away a powerful header from Bangura and got away with fumbling a Larsson attempt late on as Esbjerg held on.

Group C duo get the point

Elfsborg and Standard Liege both got off the mark in Europa League Group C after playing out a 1-1 draw at the Boras Arena.In what was the Swedish hosts' first game since Klas Ingesson had been promoted from youth coach to take temporary charge of them following Jorgen Lennartsson's dismissal on Monday, they went ahead in the 23rd minute through Viktor Claesson's impressive curling effort.Standard were level just after the hour mark thanks to a left-footed finish by Geoffrey Mujangi Bia.The Belgians' last Europa League outing saw them open their Group C campaign with a shock 2-1 home loss to Esbjerg, who were beaten 2-1 on Thursday at home by Salzburg, the 4-0 victors over Elfsborg in the first round of matches.Elfsborg made a lively start against Standard, with Eiji Kawashima parrying attempts from range by Lasse Nilsson and Claesson.Anders Svensson tried his luck three times to no avail, while at the other end, Mujangi Bia sent a header into the arms of Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard and Imoh Ezekiel's shot was blocked by Sebastian Holmen.Claesson, 20 yards out, then fired in from Stefan Ishizaki's corner.Two efforts from Mujangi Bia towards the end of the first half did little to trouble Stuhr-Ellegaard, but the midfielder then had the ball in the net in the 62nd minute as he made the most of a clever pass from Michy Batshuayi.In the 68th Mujangi Bia shot wide from inside the box, and Elfsborg's later attempts to get back in front were fruitless as Johan Larsson drilled a free-kick wide and substitute Mohamed Bangura's strike was comfortably dealt with by Kawashima.

Soriano treble boosts Salzburg

Jonathan Soriano scored a hat-trick as Salzburg secured a comfortable opening-night 4-0 victory over Elfsborg in the Europa League.After Brazilian striker Alan opened the scoring at the Red Bull Arena, Soriano notched a first-half penalty before adding two more goals from close range after the interval.Group C rivals Esbjerg got the better of Standard Liege, meaning they and Salzburg have sole ownership of top spot.Salzburg would dominate the first half, with former Barcelona B striker Soriano and Alan both threatening the Swedes' goal.The former tried his luck three times in the first 30 minutes while visiting goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard had to tip a close-range effort from Alan over his bar.Elfsborg's Lasse Nilsson kept Peter Gulacsi awake in the home goal with a couple of solid attempts but Salzburg would make the breakthrough in the 36th minute.Kevin Kampl moved down the left wing to pick out Alan, who found Stuhr-Ellegaard's top corner with a pinpoint effort.Kampl tried to double the advantage himself but that honour would fall to Soriano just before the break.When Joachim Jorgensen fouled Alan in the Elfsborg box, Soriano successfully placed his spot-kick to Stuhr-Ellegaard's left.Elfsborg failed to respond after the restart and the Austrians came knocking through Kampl, Sadio Mane and Soriano before the latter squeezed in a third goal.Moments after seeing his 68th-minute shot tipped over the bar, he clipped a cross from Mane beyond the frustrated Stuhr-Ellegaard.Goal number four arrived 10 minutes from time, and through a familiar source as Soriano steered Valon Berisha's pass into the Elfsborg net from six yards.

Team	GP	W	D	L	GD	P
BK Hacken	17	10	5	2	+17	35
Djurgardens IF	17	10	4	3	+24	34
Hammarby	17	10	3	4	+21	33
AIK	17	9	4	4	+4	31
IFK	17	9	3	5	+9	30
Malmo FF	17	9	3	5	+8	30
Kalmar FF	17	8	3	6	+5	27
Mjallby	17	7	6	4	+3	27
Sirius	17	7	3	7	-5	24
Elfsborg	17	5	7	5	+7	22
IFK Norrkoping	17	5	4	8	-3	19
Varbergs BoIS FC	17	5	3	9	-16	18
IFK Värnamo	17	4	5	8	-10	17
Degerfors IF	17	3	2	12	-21	11
Helsingborg	17	2	4	11	-16	10
GIF Sundsvall	17	3	1	13	-27	10

Team

+17

+24

+21