"The form will be decisive"

There are plenty of similarities between Lech and their European opponent. A vivid history, multiple national championship titles, a very big fanbase, and impressive performances in the Europa Conference League arena last autumn – these are just a few common factors. Jesper Karlström – i.e. our best source of information on Djurgårdens IF – claims that in terms of style of play, the two teams are also very similar. Jesper played at the Swedish club for six years and won a championship title during that time. He described his former team saying:

“They are a solid team that likes to play football and has been led by the same coaches for a few years. They have a distinct style of play; the players know their job on the pitch and are very consistent in their actions. They prefer modern football – similarly to us – based on high pressing and interception of the ball on the opponent’s half. In addition, this also applies to the formation – in their case it's 1-4-3-3,” explained Lech’s midfielder who has recently extended his contract with Lech until 2026.

In comparison to other clubs whom Lech could have drawn in the round of 16 – among them, West Ham United and Villarreal CF – Djurgårdens aren’t as big of a brand, but Karlström warns about underestimating the Swedish side. He emphasises the team’s long-term stability which is connected to the coaching staff. The duo of Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlöf took over the squad in 2018 and within a year, they won the national title.

“Last season, they weren’t far off from winning the title. Previously, they were ranked in the top three as well. It’s also important to remember how well they performed in the Europa Conference League last autumn. They managed to retain practically all the key players and also reinforce the squad with valuable footballers such as midfielder Oliver Berg and defender Carlos Moros. These two players were in last season’s best XI for a reason. They will be prepared very well,” said the 27-year-old.

Similarly to the round of 16 where Lech faced FK Bodø/Glimt, the Polish squad will have an advantage of already playing a few important matches this year. However, the Swedish midfielder doesn’t think it will make a difference. Both sides have similar potential and skills, hence it’s the details that will decide who advances to the quarterfinals. The same way as in the previous round.

“It won’t be of big importance [during the match]. We need to focus on completing our tasks as well as we can. We will need to be on form to beat Djurgårdens. We are hoping to win in the first match, but we also know that the bar has been set very high. Of course, the two sides are at different stages of the season, but this is the reality. The question is who adapts better, that’s the key,” summarised Karlström.