Europa League

Hareide signs off with win

Helsingborg gave coach Aage Hareide the perfect send-off with a 3-1 victory over FC Twente in their final Europa League Group L fixture at Arke Stadion.

Neither team could progress to the knockout stage but the Swedish visitors were desperate to end on a positive note for Hareide, who will be replaced by Roar Hansen in the new year.

And they did just that thanks to goals from Nikola Djurdjic, Alejandro Bedoya and Thomas Sorum, with Dusan Tadic scoring a consolation for Twente.

Helsingborg had picked up a single point from their campaign before the fixture, but were in front after just six minutes in Enschede.

May Mahlangu played the ball through to Djurdjic, who powered an unstoppable 25-yard drive into the top right corner past home goalkeeper Filip Bednarek.

Twente almost conceded a second after 12 minutes but Rachid Bouaouzan's effort from inside the box came back off the post.

However, Helsingborg were two goals to the good after 21 minutes thanks again to Djurdjic, who created the opening for Bedoya to plant a low shot into the net.

Twente finally created a chance after 34 minutes when Tim Holscher directed a header past the post and Nacer Chadli followed that with a 20-yard drive which cleared the crossbar.

The hosts were showing signs of life, though, and Luc Castaignos came close before the interval with a strike from inside the area which fell inches wide.

Denny Landzaat also tried to get Twente off the mark nine minutes into the second half but curled his right-footed effort over the target.

Instead it was Helsingborg who scored again in the 68th minute, Bouaouzan teeing up Sorum for the striker to roll the ball home from a few yards out.

Twente eventually found the target with a 75th-minute free-kick from Tadic, which he blasted into the bottom right corner from 30 yards.

They could not add to their tally, though, as Helsingborg ran out comfortable winners.