Ten years at the Liberty: The Europa adventure kicks off

To celebrate Swansea City's tenth season at the Liberty Stadium, we are looking back on the stand-out moments over the last decade.
Here, we re-live the first Europa League fixture to be staged at the Liberty as Swedish side Malmo took on the Capital One Cup holders in SA1.



Swansea City 4 Malmo 0
Europa League, Third Qualifying Round First Leg
August 1, 2013
It had been a long 22 seasons since Swansea's last venture in European competition - a humiliating 8-0 defeat at Monaco.
From that dark day in October 1991, a lot had changed at Swansea City. In 2013, the Swans were now competing at the highest level in English football. The club were also the first Welsh side to compete in the Europa League, with their new £12 million signing Wilfried Bony set to make his debut.



In their third qualifying round tie, the Swans hosted Swedish side Malmo at the Liberty Stadium.
In warm and sunny August conditions, the opening 20 minutes of the clash was more reminiscent of testimonial match rather than cup football, with the Swans enjoying plenty of possession but lacking a cutting edge in front of goal.
It took 27 minutes for the Swans to create their first real chance as Jonjo Shelvey dragged his shot wide of goal following a poor clearance from Miiko Albornoz.
But with the Swans dictating play and beginning to turn the screw, it became almost inevitable a goal would come; although, it was in somewhat bizarre circumstances when it eventually did.
Wayne Routledge's attempted through ball for Michu was weak, but under no pressure Malmo defender Filip Helander slipped, allowing the Spanish forward to take advantage. He was on it like a flash and placed a low drive past goalkeeper Johan Dahlin to put the Swans in front.



Their goal before half-time gave Swansea impetus, and it took only ten minutes after the interval for them to double their lead.
Ben Davies picked out Routledge on the left flank, whose cross found Bony to head home his first goal in Swans colours.
With Malmo's initial resistance broken, it was an opportunity for the Swans to crank up the pressure on their opponents.
Three minutes later and the Swans dealt their Swedish counterparts another heavy blow. Michael Laudrup's rampant side cut through the Malmo defence like a knife through butter, before Michu struck the post with a curling shot. Debutant Bony, however, was on hand to tap home the rebound and make it 3-0.
If they were punch drunk beforehand, the visitors were now well and truly on the ropes. But it was to their credit that they managed to stem the flow of goals up until four minutes of the full-time whistle.
However, they were at the surrender of the Swans when a neat move pulled their defence apart, allowing substitute Alejandro Pozuelo to rifle home the fourth ahead of the second leg in Sweden.




Player profile
Wilfried Bony (2013-2015)
Born in December 1988 in Bingerville, Ivory Coast, Wilfried Bony grew up playing street football before beginning his professional career at Issia Wazi, whom he made his debut for in the Cote d'Ivoire Premier Division at the age of 17.
Just two years later, Bont went on trial at Liverpool in 2007. He was not offered a contract but instead joined Czech Republic side Sparta Prague on loan.
Initially, he played for the B team at Sparta, but such was his progress that he joined the club on a permanent basis before breaking into the first-team squad within nine months of his arrival.
By the end of his first full season at the club, he would help Sparta win the Czech First League title. His prolific goal-scoring record soon attracted the attention of Dutch outfit Vitesse, who signed him on a three-and-a-half-year deal in January 2011.



Bony made a blistering start to his time in the Eredivisie. After scoring on his debut, he went on to score in nine consecutive games, eventually finishing the season with 31 goals from 31 matches and topping the scoring charts in the Dutch top flight.
It was this goals-to-games ratio that prompted the Swans to part with £12 million to sign the Ivory Coast striker in 2013.
After a steady start to life in South Wales, Bony ended his maiden campaign as the club's top scorer with 20 goals.
In January 2015, Bony joined Premier League champions Manchester City on a four-year deal for a club record fee.
Bony has gone on to play in the Uefa Champions League for the Citizens and has scored against the Swans on both occasions he has come up against his former club.
Having made his international debut in a 1-0 away win against Burundi in November 2012, and he has also featured in two Africa Cup of Nations Finals (2012, 2015) as well as the 2014 Fifa World Cup.