AFC Eskilstuna vs Nyköping

AFC Eskilstuna, who had beaten Assyriska 3-2 three days earlier on 19 July, picked up where they left off. The home side broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when a well-worked move ended with a finish past the Nyköping goalkeeper. Before the visitors could regroup, Eskilstuna struck again just one minute later — doubling their lead in the 42nd minute to take a commanding 2-0 advantage into the interval.

Nyköping emerged sharper after the break and grew into the contest. Their persistence paid off in the 77th minute when they pulled one back, setting up a tense final quarter-hour. But Eskilstuna held firm to see out the 2-1 win.

Eskilstuna's two-goal burst in the 41st and 42nd minutes proved decisive. The quickfire double forced Nyköping onto the front foot for the entire second half, and while the visitors found a lifeline in the 77th minute, the damage of conceding twice in two minutes before the break was too great to fully undo.

No individual goalscorers were officially named for this friendly, but Eskilstuna's frontline — fresh from scoring three against Assyriska on 19 July — carried that form into this fixture. The defensive unit, which withstood sustained Nyköping pressure after the hour mark, deserves credit for limiting the visitors to a single consolation goal.

Friendly matches typically offer limited statistical records, but the timeline tells a clear story. Eskilstuna's 2-0 halftime lead (goals in the 41st and 42nd minutes) suggests clinical finishing rather than sustained dominance, while Nyköping's goal in the 77th minute points to an improved second-half performance. The home side's ability to manage the game after conceding — not letting the scoreline slip further — will be the most encouraging takeaway for the coaching staff.

For AFC Eskilstuna, this second consecutive pre-season victory builds momentum ahead of their return to competitive action in the Swedish lower leagues. The win follows the 3-2 defeat of Assyriska on 19 July, giving the squad a perfect record in pre-season friendlies thus far. Nyköping will look to sharpen their finishing in their next pre-season fixture after creating chances but only converting once.

A game of two distinct phases: Eskilstuna's blistering 120-second spell before halftime decided the outcome, while Nyköping's second-half response suggested they are not far off the pace. Pre-season friendly margins are often narrow, and this 2-1 scoreline reflects a contest that was tighter than the halftime scoreline implied.