BETFINAL’S LOOKBACK AT THE WEEKEND:

The Allsvenskan league made the mainstream news today as Sunday’s derby between the two Stockholm rivals became heated. The two ripped each other apart on the pitch as well as on the bleachers in a bitter dispute between Djurgården and Hammarby. The clash reached a fever pitch in one of the most interesting games this season. Betfinal reports on the bloodbath…

From Passion to Full-On War – The Stockholm Derby

Sunday afternoon is generally a time of relaxation, whether enjoying fika with a couple of friends or recovering from a massive hangover or home-cooked meal. This was not the case for yesterday’s Allsvenskan event, however, as two of Stockholm’s biggest rivals came together at the Tele2 Arena for a match that was as exciting as it was torturous.

Allsvenskan: Djurgården IF vs Hammarby IF; Tele2 Arena, Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden

The rivalry between the two teams dates back to the early twentieth century and has only grown stronger over the last decade. Tension between the teams is high and none of it seems to be dissipating any time soon. News that both teams were moving to the Tele2 Arena together in 2013 wasn’t what fans wanted to hear and only made the hostility grow stronger.

This meant the two battling Stockholm teams would have to share their training space and home turf, something that is almost unheard of. Thankfully, this uncomfortable move did not dishearten either team but rather, spurred them on. Their fervour for war was clearly on display in yesterday’s game with a thrilling 90 minutes of pure football passion.

Hammarby proved their dominance immediately in the game as Muamer Tankovic headed the ball into the net within the first three minutes. The 23-year-old attacker’s header set the foundation for Hammarby’s success with the early goal acting as an added incentive to beat their enemies. However, Djurgården were not so easily phased by the table-leader’s initial control.

DIF came to the derby with seventeen wins in their most recent Allsvenskan home matches and the day was looking promising. There seemed to be hope for the boys in blue in spite of the fact that they hadn’t garnered one win against Hammarby in the last ten Allsvenskan games.

Their hunger to win was only strengthened when 2013 Swedish Idol winner, Kevin Walker, equalised in the second half with a successful penalty in the 77^th minute. The singer-turned-footballer kept the dream alive in the last quarter of the game as the match neared the end.

The dream was soon crushed by Gambian-born Hammarby forward, Pa Dibba, who scored the winning goal for his team in injury time (90+1). The seasoned footballer said after the match that the victory “felt easy” with a confident, if not cocky, attitude. He also said in a controversial statement that “on the whole, [Hammarby] are better.” These words are exactly what fans need to feed their animosity towards each other as tempers started to flair even before the game was over.

The uneasiness of the spectators towards each other exploded into a full-blown brawl while the game was still in play. Punches were thrown and jackets were shed in a clash between spectators that overshadowed the 2-1 victory for Hammarby at their shared arena. There were even a few people that ended up in hospital!

Yesterday afternoon’s triumph for Hammarby helped them settle in at the top of the table, with two points clear of AIK, another Stockholm rival. With 16 points, they are currently in the lead, while Djurgården are midway down the table at eighth place due to a shaky start to the season.

Sunday’s win adds more success to Hammarby’s already-stellar season- winning five of their six played matches and just one draw against Häcken the previous Sunday. Djurgården need to pull up their socks and start kicking the ball right as their season isn’t going quite the way they want it to so far. Their next game against Malmö will be an opportunity for them to show their fans what they’re capable of.

So, will Hammarby IF retain their position at the top of the table as the season goes along? Will Djurgården IF up their game? Or will the third Stockholm rival, AIK, steamroll them on the way to the top?