Superliga: Final Day - Silkeborg IF vs Brøndby IF
Mascot Park is ready for an important day of football with Brøndby hoping to keep their 4th place spot.
Silkeborg IF XI vs Brøndby
(4-5-1)Jensen; Putros, Holst, Jakobsen, Jónsson; Flinta, Scheel, Hansen (C), Pedersen, Ritter; Beck.
Subs: Nørgaard, Friis, Sørensen, Illum, Agger, Pedersen, Køhlert.
Brøndby IF XI vs Silkeborg
(4-2-3-1)Hrádecký; Larsson, Holst, Albrechtsen, da Silva; Ørnskov (C), Phiri; Pepe, Hjulsager, Szymanowski; Pukki.
Subs: Falkesgaard, Laursen, Hasani, Núñez, Nørgaard, Rashani, Friðjónsson.
Brøndby were without captain and star centre back Daniel Agger for this vital game so Albrechtsen stepped in. Teko Modise also missed the game through injury.
John Nielsen officiated this crucial game. Brøndby kicked off the game knowing that failure to pick up maximum points from the game could see them lose their continental qualification spot to either Esbjerg or OB. With this in mind, in-form striker Teemu Pukki surged past three defenders with the ball at his feet after five minutes but his shot was weak and didn't challenge the goalkeeper.
Some Brøndby fans couldn't help but celebrate when OB went two goals behind at home to already relegated Nordsjælland and Esbjerg trailed by one goal to SønderjyskE.
But they weren't celebrating for long when Silkeborg captain Frank Hansen crossed the ball into the box from a free-kick on the edge of the area. The ball somehow evaded all of the Brøndby players and found the head of Dennis Flinta who headed the ball into the roof of the net just before the half hour mark.
While results elsewhere meant that Brøndby kept fourth spot for the time being, they couldn't rest easy yet, especially since OB had pulled one goal back against Nordsjælland.
Former Italy international Simone Pepe was left visibly frustrated when he was denied in superb fashion by Kasper Jensen as he made three saves in quick succession to keep his side in the lead. Pedersen tried his hardest to double the lead from range, and almost succeeded, putting the ball over the bar from 30 yards out.
Brøndby went into half time with hope when Esbjerg went further behind to SønderjyskE. The players came back out after the half time break but there were no real chances until midway through the second half, although SønderjyskE's Marvin Pourié, on loan from F.C. København, completed his hat-trick to consign Esbjerg to defeat. The final score in that game would be 4-1, Pourié adding a fourth before Esbjerg pulled one back. Meanwhile OB still trailed by one goal to Nordsjælland.
Back in the Silkeborg game, Brøndby striker Teemu Pukki, often so reliable in front of goal, missed the chance to get his team on level terms with a sitter. Some good work and a fine run from Pepe got him into the Silkeborg penalty area. A tackle from a defender let the ball slide through to the Finnish striker, who put the ball straight into the arms of the goalkeeper from just yards out. His hands quickly went to his head as he punched the air in anger. Rather ironically, the Fin couldn't finish.
He tried to redeem himself in the last five minutes of the game by playing a very inviting through ball to find the run of Pepe into the box. However, the Italian winger was selfish and was clearly envisioning his name on the back of the Danish papers the next morning as he opted to shoot from an impossible angle rather than cross to his two team-mates inside the box.
The game finished 1-0 to Silkeborg and Brøndby fans waited in fear as the last minutes of the OB - Nordsjælland played out. Despite the result here, Brøndby fans will be celebrating tonight as Nordsjælland held out OB to secure a 1-2 win - Brøndby take the last Europa League qualification spot ahead of Esbjerg and OB.
nice update btw.
