Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Silkeborg IF beat Aalborg 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Aalborg Portland Park, with Rami Al Hajj and Villads Westh scoring inside 16 minutes before Mathias Kubel's second-half consolation.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Silkeborg took the lead after just three minutes in controversial fashion. Aalborg defender Nóel Atli Arnórsson went down in a duel with Rami Al Hajj, and the home side stopped expecting a whistle. The referee played on, and Al Hajj coolly lobbed stranded goalkeeper Vincent Müller from distance to make it 1-0.
Aalborg's preparation was disrupted before kick-off when 18-year-old goalkeeper Bertil Grønkjær — who had been away at the U/19 European Championship — picked up an injury in the warm-up, forcing Müller into a late start.
Silkeborg doubled their lead in the 16th minute. A Silkeborg attack broke down outside the box, but the ball fell to Villads Westh, who had time and space to drill a low shot inside the far post from range.
Aalborg struggled to break through a compact Silkeborg defence in the first half. Frederik Børsting had their first attempt in the 37th minute from a corner, but it was blocked. Brian Nwadike also headed wide from a Marc Nielsen cross just before the break.
Aalborg coach Steffen Højer made four changes on the hour mark, introducing Bertram Skovgaard, William Thomsen, Andreas Maarup and Mathias Kubel. The switch paid off nine minutes later when Kubel collected the ball on the flank, drove past his marker and fired a low shot from a tight angle inside the far post.
With momentum shifting, Aalborg pushed for a leveller. Andreas Maarup forced a sharp reaction save from Silkeborg goalkeeper Aske Andresen with a driven shot from a set-piece with 10 minutes left. Andresen produced another fine reflex stop five minutes from time when Alexander Håpnes almost turned in a low Maarup cross from close range. Marc Nielsen also headed over in stoppage time, but Silkeborg held on.
The turning point
Aalborg's four-man substitution in the 60th minute — including the introduction of Kubel — transformed the match. Before the changes, Aalborg had not created a clear chance from open play. After them, they scored, created three more good opportunities, and pinned Silkeborg deep. The question is whether the changes came too late to recover from the two-goal deficit.
Key performers
Rami Al Hajj (Silkeborg) — opened the scoring with a composed lob under pressure inside three minutes. His movement and awareness caused problems for the Aalborg backline all afternoon.
Villads Westh (Silkeborg) — made it 2-0 with a well-struck long-range effort in the 16th minute. Constant threat down the right flank before being substituted in the 68th minute.
Mathias Kubel (Aalborg) — changed the game after coming on in the 60th minute. Scored a fine solo goal, drove at the defence again moments later, and gave Silkeborg's defence a wholly different problem to the one they faced in the first half.
Aske Andresen (Silkeborg) — made two crucial saves in the final 15 minutes, from Maarup and Håpnes, to preserve the lead.
Player of the match: Rami Al Hajj.
By the numbers
Silkeborg's two goals from just three attempts in the opening 16 minutes reflect a clinical edge that Aalborg lacked in the first half. The hosts' 0-2 half-time deficit understates the gap: they registered zero shots on target before the interval. The 1-2 final scoreline, however, fairly reflects a second half in which Aalborg had the better chances (three clear openings after the 69th minute). Silkeborg's 5-4-1 shape limited Aalborg to speculative efforts until the Kubel substitution unlocked the defence.
What it means
This was the final pre-season friendly for both sides before the new Danish season. Aalborg, who drew 2-2 with Randers FC and beat Viborg FF 3-1 in earlier friendlies, will face Hillerød Fodbold at Aalborg Portland Park on Friday 24 July in their season opener. Silkeborg, who finished their pre-season with a victory, continue their preparations for the 3F Superliga campaign.
Verdict
A game of two distinct halves. Silkeborg were sharp and efficient in the opening period, exploiting a hesitant Aalborg defence. The hosts' second-half performance, particularly after Kubel's introduction, was far more encouraging for Højer. The defeat will not alarm Aalborg unduly — the response after the break was the takeaway — but they will want to cut out the slow starts before competitive action begins next week.
Match Events
Aalborg and Silkeborg have met 36 times — Aalborg won 12, Silkeborg won 16, with 8 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2011. Silkeborg leads the head-to-head with 16 victories from 36 meetings. A combined 120 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 3.33 per match (60 for the home side, 60 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 25 matches (69%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 25 games (69%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Silkeborg are currently unbeaten in the last 5 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–3 in 2016.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 17 Jul 2026