Hammarby defeated Öster 7-0 in a one-sided Svenska Cupen encounter. According to multiple reports, Hammarby changed its playing system against Öster, moving away from two wide wingers to a more central setup. Frank Junior Adjei had his best match for Hammarby, while Kone Sourou made his debut for the club. It remains unclear whether this tactical shift is a permanent change or a one-time adjustment for this match.
Öster's defense performed poorly against Hammarby, leaving players unmarked and making many mistakes. Öster was relegated from Allsvenskan last year and will play in Superettan in 2026. The club has a new coach, Max Mölder, and has undergone squad changes following relegation. According to Fotbollskanalen, Öster captain Sebastian Starke Hedlund described the heavy loss as a painful but potentially beneficial experience for the team's long-term development. Whether this defeat indicates deeper issues with Öster's quality or was an isolated poor performance is yet to be determined.
We will be able to draw many lessons from that match.
Öster finished the Svenska Cupen group stage with four points after a draw against Örebro SK and a win against IK Brage. According to major media reports, Helsingborg defeated Öster 4-1 in a pre-season match. How Öster will perform in their Superettan season opener against Helsingborg after these pre-season struggles remains to be seen.
Within Hammarby, internal competition is heating up. Oliver Jordan Hagen has been impressive in training and has put pressure on Montader Madjed for a starting position. According to Fotbolltransfers analysis, Hammarby's strategy may involve selling Montader Madjed in the summer transfer window to maximize his value. The same analysis suggests Hammarby may not have fielded its best team against Örgryte, possibly to showcase Madjed for a transfer. Whether Hagen will start over Madjed in upcoming matches given his training performances is still uncertain.
We have good players and a playing style that we believe in a lot. We also have a broad squad with a good mix between young and a bit older, experienced players.
Örgryte, another team in focus, started the Allsvenskan season with a draw against Malmö FF and a win against Mjällby. However, Örgryte's defense performed poorly against Hammarby, leaving players unmarked and making many mistakes.
It became like a slap in the face for us that I think can be good in the long run. We will be able to draw many lessons from that match. I think we have recovered quite well. We stepped on a mine that match and we know how the feeling was afterwards and we don't want that feeling again.