RIJEKA, Croatia (Interstat) — Rijeka and Djurgården played to a 2-2 draw in a UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match Saturday at Stadion HNK Rijeka, a result that saw the visiting Swedish side remain unbeaten in the competition while the Croatian hosts continued to search for their first victory.

The match, which defied pregame projections that heavily favored Rijeka, was a back-and-forth affair featuring four different goal scorers.

Djurgården opened the scoring in the 13th minute through a goal from attacker Haris Vučkič. The Ljubljana, Slovenia, native gave the home side an early lead with his first goal of the tournament.

Rijeka’s advantage was short-lived, as Djurgården midfielder Hampus Finndell leveled the score in the 37th minute. The 5-foot-9 midfielder found the net to send the teams into halftime tied 1-1.

The Swedish visitors took their first lead of the match in the 54th minute when attacker Victor Kaj Edvardsen scored, putting Djurgården ahead 2-1. Edvardsen was substituted out in the 72nd minute after contributing the go-ahead goal.

Rijeka pressed for an equalizer and found it in the 70th minute to ultimately secure a share of the points. The final goal in the 2-2 draw came from a Rijeka player, completing the scoring for the evening.

The match grew increasingly physical in the latter stages, with three yellow cards issued within a five-minute span late in the second half. Rijeka’s Anton Krešić was booked in the 76th minute, followed by simultaneous cautions for Rijeka’s Mateo Pavlović and Djurgården’s Isak Hien in the 81st minute.

The draw leaves Djurgården with a strong position in the group stage, now holding a record of two wins and one draw in the competition. The Swedish club remains undefeated through three matches.

For Rijeka, the single point provides little consolation as the Croatian side continues to struggle in continental play. They now have one draw and one loss in the Europa Conference League, still seeking their first group stage victory.

The result was notably unexpected according to statistical analysis. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score, while its ELO rating system gave Rijeka a 68.6 percent probability of winning the match outright.

Djurgården, coming off a 3-1 victory over APOEL in their previous European outing, maintained their unbeaten start to the tournament. Rijeka entered the match following a 1-0 win over Sparta Prague in domestic competition, but was unable to translate that form into a European victory.

Rijeka’s attention now turns to a quick turnaround, with their next match scheduled for Thursday at Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar. Djurgården will continue their group stage campaign in the next round of fixtures.