Aberdeen’s European opponents BK Hacken have moved off the foot of the Swedish top-flight table with a debut win for their new manager.
Former Norwegian international boss Per-Mathieas Hogmo was appointed new manager at the Gothenburg side at the start of the Swedish summer break.
Hogmo secured a 2-1 home defeat of AIK at the weekend in the Allvenskan to leap-frog three places from the base of the table to 13th.
Aberdeen host BK Hacken in the Uefa Europa Conference League second qualifying round first leg at Pittodrie on Thursday July 22.
Hogmo insists his squad are moving in the right direction ahead of that Euro showdown.
Hogmo said: “We are very happy to secure a victory in front of our own supporters.
“It is confirmation we are heading in the right direction.
“We started a little nervous and AIK controlled the first part of the half.
“Then we grew into the match and in the second half got the reward for what we talked about during the half-time break.
“We showed morale and discipline, which is required in every single training session and every single match for us to succeed in taking the points we need.”
När vaderna krampade och lungorna nästan inte orkade mer var ni den sista energin som fixade tre livsviktiga poäng. Tack för idag, snart ses vi igen! pic.twitter.com/7cNJqVREAB
— BK Häcken (@bkhackenofcl) July 4, 2021
Following a return of just one win from the opening eight league games, BK Hacken parted company with manager of four years Andreas Alm at the start of the summer break and appointed Hogmo.
Hogmo’s first competitive match at the helm of BK Hacken was played in front of 1,005 supporters at the Bravida Arena following recent easing of coronavirus restrictions by the Swedish government.
BK Hacken went ahead early in the second half when a corner from former Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City Swedish international Martin Olsson found Gustav Berggren 10 yards out.
Berggren’s header was saved by the AIK goalkeeper, but Patrik Walemark pounced on the loose ball to net his first goal of the season.
Three minutes later, goal scorer Walemark found Tunisian 20-year-old international winger Ali Youssef on the right flank.
Youseff powered past full-back Per Karlsson, cut inside into the box and unleashed a superb drive beyond the keeper.
Youssef ökar på!
Se matchen på https://t.co/U8GJcAsMFu pic.twitter.com/71OaI7ZcZk
— discovery+ sport 🇸🇪 (@dplus_sportSE) July 4, 2021
Fast, direct, skillful and with a lethal finish, Youseff will be a danger man against Aberdeen.
The Dons left-back, whether that is Jack MacKenzie, Andy Considine or even Jonny Hayes, will have to keep the shackles on the winger.
In the 76h minute, AIK netted courtesy of a half volley from Bojan Radulovic.
However, BK Hacken held on to secure three points in Hogmo’s first competitive match in charge.
BK Hacken face two away league games against Karpar (July 12) and Norrkoping (July 18) before facing Aberdeen in the Granite City.
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