Robin Olsen Saves MFF in Pre-Season Win vs Landskrona Bois

Malmö FF secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Landskrona Bois in a Thursday afternoon friendly, a result largely defined by a strong performance from goalkeeper Robin Olsen. While the scoreline offers a positive sign ahead of the Allsvenskan season, the match revealed areas for improvement for both sides.

Olsen proved crucial in the first half, making two significant saves to deny Landskrona Bois. The first came from a close-range header by Salomo Ojala, which Olsen reacted to quickly, making himself large to block the attempt. Shortly after, he thwarted Markus Björkqvist with another reflex save, again demonstrating his ability to cover the goal effectively. “Of course it feels good personally,” Olsen said after the match, “but You can do much better and we will function hard these next ten days until the Allsvenskan starts.”

Landskrona Bois, playing with physicality and pace on the counter, presented a stern test for Malmö. The visitors consistently won duels and created several dangerous opportunities, particularly in the opening 45 minutes. Olsen acknowledged the threat posed by Landskrona’s counter-attacks, stating, “We’ve talked a lot about counter-attacks this week and it’s a big difference from the last match. But there were a few situations. We specifically talked at halftime today about needing to take a yellow card or a foul to stop it.”

Despite Olsen’s heroics, Landskrona continued to press. Kevin Jensen delivered a precise cross to Ojala, who headed just wide. Björkqvist similarly had a chance from a corner, forcing another save from the MFF goalkeeper. Gustaf Bruzelius also came close, but his close-range effort following a save by Olsen sailed over the bar. The first half ended goalless despite a flurry of chances for Landskrona.

The second half saw a continuation of Landskrona’s dominance in possession and territorial advantage, though the quality of chances diminished somewhat. It was a moment of individual brilliance that ultimately decided the match. In the 78th minute, Yassin Mohammed, making his debut for MFF, broke free from the Landskrona defense and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to secure the 1-0 win.

“Now we’re taking this win,” Olsen stated. “It means a lot. We necessitate to build everything up and continue even when things are going well. We’ve had a good training week.”

Olsen also reflected on the recent 0-4 cup defeat to Mjällby, a result that clearly impacted the team. “That was incredibly tough, I think everyone understands. It hit hard. The first day we trained after the match, everyone was down. But then you also noticed a reaction, there was more energy and I think we’ve actually maintained that pretty well. You just have to take the loss and do better.”

While acknowledging the victory, Olsen was realistic about the performance. “With all respect to Landskrona, we should be able to do better,” he admitted. He also emphasized the importance of patience from the supporters as the team integrates modern ideas under a new coach. “It’s not the first time I’ve had a new coach. I know it takes time to absorb new ideas. It’s up to us players to take that on board as quickly as possible and get it onto the pitch. It’s not fun to stand here and ask for patience. Everyone in the locker room and around the club wants it to happen faster. Everyone is on the same side and we are working hard.”

The match also saw a significant turnout of Malmö FF supporters for the friendly, with 4,047 traveling to Örgryte for the Allsvenskan opener on April 5th. Olsen expressed his gratitude for the support, stating, “It’s fantastic. It couldn’t be better. It’s up to us to deliver for them, they’re doing their part in the stands. I feel a huge desire for revenge for last year, both personally and for us as a team and club. I’m really looking forward to the premiere and so are we all.”