Lots for Hibs boss to ponder as Elfsborg turn on the style

HIBS boss Mixu Paatelainen today declared his flying visit to Sweden "invaluable" after watching InterToto Cup rivals IF Elfsborg maintain their turbo-charged start to the season.

Paatelainen was an interested onlooker as Elfsborg raced into a 2-0 lead after only 14 minutes away to Djugarden in Stockholm last night.

And, although they didn't add to those early goals, the win was enough to keep them second in the Allsvenskan, hard on the heels of leaders Kalmar, who romped to a 5-1 win away to Gefle.

Elfsborg were at full strength as the Swedish League season restarted following a month's break and got off to the perfect start as Anders Svensson, who had starred in all three of his nation's Euro 2008 matches, nodded home a cross from Stefan Ishizaki after only 61 seconds.

Ishizaki, pinpointed by former Hibs goalkeeper Daniel Andersson as the biggest threat to his former club, added the second from the penalty spot in the 14th minute, leaving Elfsborg with just one defeat from their opening 12 matches.

As he began his journey back to Edinburgh this morning to take a training session with his squad later in the day, Paatelainen admitted what he had seen, allied to an earlier report from coach Gareth Evans who watched Elfsborg in action last week, had given him plenty of food for thought.

He said: "It was a valuable trip. As I had thought, Elfsborg had their strongest side out because this was an important league match. Elfsborg are a quality side, well-organised and very disciplined."

Last night's clean sheet means Elfsborg have conceded just three goals in 1080 minutes of league action, another formidable statistic for Paatelainen to ponder ahead of Sunday's first leg at Easter Road.

He said: "They defend well, they are very solid at the back, no doubt about that."

The win left Elfsborg manager Magnus Haglund in better humour than he had been following last weekend's 0-0 draw with HB Torshavn, even although his much-weakened side had won the right to face Hibs thanks to a 4-1 win in the Faroe Islands a week earlier.

Haglund said: "The result gives us optimism for what will be a tough match in Edinburgh." Meanwhile, Sunday's match will be refereed by Luxembourg official Albert Toussaint, who has been marked out as one of UEFA's rising stars.

Having gained his referee's licence at the age of 14, the 31-year-old has been rising through the ranks, gaining his FIFA badge in 2005 and earlier this year joining Europe's other most promising young officials for UEFA's eighth "talent and monitors seminar" held in Nyon.

As such, Toussaint has been earmarked as a possible referee for the next European Championships in 2012 although, to date, he has taken charge of just one full international, sending off Kazakhstan defender Maksim Zhalmagambetov as his country was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Azerbaijan in a Euro 2008 qualifying match.

Toussaint will be assisted by countrymen Antonio De Carolis and Marco Tropeano while the fourth official will be Scotland's Keith Sorbie.