AB Beat HB Køge 3–2 to Take All Three Points

AB put in an excellent performance today, winning 3–2 against HB Køge at Capelli Sport Stadion. Based on the quality of play and the chances created, it was a deserved victory for AB. It was also an entertaining match between two teams that wanted to play football, with the momentum swinging back and forth at times.

AB took the lead just before half-time through Milan Silva Rasmussen. Magnus Warming equalised for HB Køge shortly after the break. O’Vonte Mullings made it 2–1 after 59 minutes, and Noah Engell added a third in the 68th minute. Just before the end of normal time, HB Køge scored from a direct free kick just outside the penalty area. The ball struck the post and went in off goalkeeper Adam Benediktsson’s back, making it 3–2.

AB also enjoyed a convincing victory in the stands when it came to fan support. Among the 1,215 spectators were a large number of AB fans, who backed the team 100% throughout the match.

The game once again demonstrated the depth of AB’s squad, with plenty of quality available for every match. Even after five substitutions, the team’s level did not drop. AB continued to press high and put pressure on the opposition goal, maintaining its approach to the game.

AB’s Starting Line-up

The coaching staff selected exactly the same starting line-up as in last week’s impressive win over Aarhus Fremad.

Adam Benediktsson started in goal, with Adrien Koudelka at right-back and Marius Stenner at left-back. Gabriel Noga partnered Aidan Liu in central defence, while captain Søren Ilsøe and Marco Vesterholm played in midfield. Casper Grening started on the left wing, O’Vonte Mullings on the right, and Milan Silva Rasmussen partnered Saliou Diop up front.

First Half

The match was played on artificial turf, a surface AB’s players are not used to. That did not appear to matter, as AB’s pacey players looked right at home on the surface. It took just five minutes for AB to create its first dangerous chance. Marius Stenner made his way to the byline and delivered a cross to Casper Grening, whose shot went straight at the goalkeeper.

HB Køge did not attempt its first shot until the 10th minute, but it was an easy save for Adam Benediktsson.

Milan Silva Rasmussen found himself in shooting positions several times, but his efforts flew narrowly over the crossbar. Aidan Liu played a beautifully weighted ball over HB Køge’s midfield to Marius Stenner, who crossed from the byline. However, he might have been better off shooting himself, as none of his teammates had made it into the penalty area.

HB Køge posed a threat on the counterattack, particularly down the left side of its attack. HB Køge’s Tobias Thomsen had few opportunities during the match, and his shot in the 22nd minute was saved by Adam Benediktsson. O’Vonte Mullings and Saliou Diop were once again influential figures in AB’s attack.

After 30 minutes, Søren Ilsøe tried his luck with an excellent shot towards goal, but the effort was deflected behind for a corner. Two minutes later, Saliou Diop broke through one-on-one, but his finish was was not successful. Milan Silva Rasmussen had another opportunity to shoot, but his effort did not find the net either.

O’Vonte Mullings played a pass into space for Saliou Diop, but Diop missed a golden opportunity by shooting straight at the goalkeeper.

HB Køge created a huge chance in the final minute of normal time, but the shot went wide. Two minutes later, HB Køge’s Silas Hald was struck in the head by the ball. Although it looked painful, he fortunately managed to get back to his feet.

Play was restarted with a dropped ball to AB. Casper Grening quickly won possession and drove towards the byline before sending a cross into the penalty area, where Milan Silva Rasmussen finished to give AB a 1–0 lead just before half-time.

Second Half

The spectators had barely settled back into their seats after the break when HB Køge created a golden opportunity in the 47th minute. Magnus Warming made the most of it, finding himself unmarked and finishing past the defense and between Adam Benediktsson’s legs to equalise at 1–1.

AB continued to control the game and enjoy the greater share of possession, although the battle for midfield was intense. In the 58th minute, AB regained the lead. Milan Silva Rasmussen played a brilliant through ball to release O’Vonte Mullings, who finished to make it 2–1.

After 65 minutes, Milan Silva Rasmussen left the pitch and Noah Engell came on to take his place in attack. Engell needed just three minutes to get on the scoresheet, making an excellent run through the defense before finishing low into the net to extend AB’s lead to 3–1.

Marius Stenner was then replaced by Tobias Damtoft at left-back, while Mikkel Clement came on for Marco Vesterholm in midfield. HB Køge created a good opportunity, but the resulting shot went over the crossbar.

In the 73rd minute, Frederik Lindgaard came on for Aidan Liu, with Adrien Koudelka moving into central defense. O’Vonte Mullings was also substituted, making way for Marco Ramkilde up front. It was great to see Ramkilde back in action after his lengthy injury layoff.

AB subsequently played with Noah Engell on the left wing and Saliou Diop centrally in attack alongside Marco Ramkilde, while Casper Grening switched to the right wing.

In the final 10 minutes, Marco Ramkilde and Noah Engell both had shots at goal, but neither attempt found the net. Engell also took a free kick close to the penalty area, but HB Køge’s defensive wall was well positioned. HB Køge managed another effort on goal, but Gabriel Noga cleared the ball off the line.

HB Køge were then awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area, directly in front of goal. The resulting strike was excellent: the ball hit the post and went in off Adam Benediktsson’s back, reducing AB’s lead to 3–2 with little time remaining.

HB Køge threw everything forward, even bringing their goalkeeper into the penalty area, but it made no difference. The closing stages were frantic, but AB battled hard to secure the win and take all three points. The victory moved AB into fourth place in the table, with the remaining matches in Round 11 still to be played.

Captain Søren Ilsøe said the team had a brief lapse: “We were well organized on the pitch and got HB Køge to play the ball where we wanted them to. We created a lot of chances in the first half, and I think we should have been more than one goal ahead.

We had control of them for most of the match. At half-time, we talked about continuing what we had done so well in the first half, while making a slight adjustment to the way we pressed. Those small adjustments worked well.

The game gets a little chaotic at times, but we manage to work through that and create a lot of chances. If we had been really clinical today, we could have scored six goals.

We had one brief lapse when things switched off and they scored to equalize. I think we got back into the game quickly and created chances to make it 3–1. Once we went 3–1 up, we were well organized and kept them away from our goal.

Then they got a free kick just outside the box and smashed it into the corner. It went in off the post and Adam’s back, so there wasn’t much we could do about that.

The game got a bit scrappy towards the end, and they put us under pressure. But we held on and secured three valuable points — and that’s the most important thing,” Søren Ilsøe concluded.

Head coach Fannar Berg Gunnólfsson was delighted with the victory: “We played a fantastic match today. I think we were much better than them, and we should have put the game to bed earlier. They had no answer to our pressing and struggled with almost everything. Full credit to the players — they did a fantastic job.

After half-time, we made a few small adjustments to our pressing, but we came out a little off balance and were caught on our heels. That gave HB Køge an opportunity, and they scored. Every team in this league is difficult to play against, and they will punish us if we are not fully switched on.

Of course, it was a little disappointing to concede their final goal. I didn’t think there was a free kick in the first place, but they scored a good goal. We got the three points, and that’s what we came here for,” said Fannar Berg Gunnólfsson.

AB’s next match takes place on Saturday, 24 October 2026, at 14:00, when Kolding IF visit Gladsaxe Stadion.