After losing 0-8 to AEK Larnaca last season, Floriana suffered another heavy defeat on Thursday as they suffered another eight goals in an 8-0 defeat to IF Elsborg in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round at the Borås Arena.
The Greens were a heavily-depleted side, lacking the injured Owen Bugeja and Christian Cassar; with no foreign players in squad and just four players on the bench. To make matters worse, they had a player sent off after 26 minutes.
The Allsvenskan leaders took just five minutes to forge ahead thanks to a goal by Niklas Hult and five minutes later, Amadou Jawo doubled the score.
Niklas Hult scored the third goal on the 24th minute and two minutes later, Elfsborg were awarded a penalty after Tyrone Farrugia floored Jawo inside the area. From the penalty spot, Niklas Hult converted.
Eight minutes from the end of the first half, Lars Nilsson made it 5-0.
Viktor Claesson scored Elfsborg’s sixth goal six minutes in the second half and substitute Per Frick made it 7-0 three minutes later. On the 62nd minute, Johan Larsson scored the eighth goal.
The second leg will be played at the Hibernians Stadium on Tuesday.
ELFSBORG Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard, Joackim Jørgensen, Jon Jönsson, Johan Larsson, Anders Svensson, Lars Nilsson (46′ Per Frick), Andreas Klarström (58′ Carl Wede), Viktor Claesson, Amadou Jawo, Niklas Hult (66′ Sebastian Holmen), Marcus Rohdén.
FLORIANA Jurgen Borg, Brooke Farrugia, Thomas Paris, Manolito Micallef, Christian Caruana (84′ Jermain Brincat), Ivan Woods (78′ Ryan Darmanin), Duncan Pisani, Joseph Borg (17′ Sacha Borg), Francesco Gusman, Tyron Farrugia, Clyde Borg.
Referee: John Beaton (SCO)
Assistant referees: Alan Mulvanny (SCO), William Conquer (SCO)
Fourth official: Paul Robertson (SCO)
Yellow Cards: S. Borg, Micallef, Paris
Red cards: T. Farrugia