AIK left the Champions League qualifier last week after being knocked out by Maribor, following a dramatic return home to Solna.

Instead, the team may now try to make it to the Europa League.

Happy minutes

And that qualification got off to a good start tonight. Away against Moldovan FC Sheriff Tiraspol won the team by 2-1.

The victory was founded for some really lucky minutes in the first half.

First, after eleven and a half minutes, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson got the ball in the middle of the penalty area, between the two center backs. One of the center backs tried to break, but instead pushed the ball into their own goal.

And less than two minutes later came 2-0. After a fine cross by Anton Salétros, Sigthorsson reached the top of the ball and nodded the ball next to one post for 2-0.

Checked the match

Every now and then everything seemed to indicate a simple AIK victory. The team was significantly better, and controlled the game completely.

But in the second half, the home team played up significantly, and even reduced after just over ten minutes on a penalty after Panajotis Dimitriadis missed the ball and instead kicked the opponent down.

But no more goal than that did not get the Sheriff. Thus, it is enough for AIK to play a draw - or just drop a goal - in the return on September 15 to move on.

- A good result in advance. We have to go for a win in the return as well, we can't play for a draw just because we won here. A draw in the next match should be like a lifeline that will help us if we have a bad day otherwise, goalkeeper Oscar Linnér told Expressen after the win.