SALO, Finland (Interstat) — Hacken and AEK Larnaca played to a 1-1 draw in their Europa League group stage opener Thursday at Salon Urheilupuisto Stadion.

The visitors from Cyprus took the lead in the 65th minute when defender Filip Helander scored. Hacken, the Swedish home side, found a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time as defender Johan Hammar netted the leveling goal. Both assists came from substitutes, with Godswill Ekpolo setting up Hammar and Rijad Bajić providing for Helander’s opener.

The match was a physical contest, producing five yellow cards. The result defied pre-match projections, as statistical models heavily favored an AEK Larnaca victory. Both clubs begin their European campaigns with a draw, carrying identical records into their next fixtures.