Missed chances are costly for TNS

TNS bowed out of the competition after their first home defeat in Europe since 2019 at the hands of the Swedish champions, who won 5-1 on aggregate on 2-0 on a soaking wet night at Park Hall.

Ibrahim Sadiq scored in the first half and Momodou Sonko scored in stoppage time to give the visitors victory – but TNS missed a host of second-half chances that could have led to a different outcome.

And this was something the boss said has cost them in the end.

“It is very very disappointing as we do not want to get into the habit of getting beat, but I think overall I do not think it was a bad performance,” he said after his side crashed out of the Champions League. “You look at how good they were and the goal they scored came from a massive deflection and then they scored a goal right at the end.

“In the second half, we had opportunities, we had three good chances and at this level, you have got to take at least two of them and then it could have been a different story.

“We knew it was going to be an uphill battle when they scored but that is the level of football that we are playing – you get punished for the slightest mistake – so it is a tough one to swallow.”