Copenhagen beat Turkish champions
Daniel Braaten ‘s sixth-minute strike handed FC Copenhagen their first win of this season’s UEFA Champions League to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive.
by Joe Short
The Norwegian beat the offside trap to flick home Rurik Gislason’s low cross and set up a nervous game for those inside a sell-out PARKEN Stadium.
Nicolai Jørgensen, Gislason and Braaten all came close to doubling FCK’s lead before the break, while Galatasaray’s Bruma had a leveller ruled out for offside.
Johan Wiland saved twice off Didier Drogba in the second half and orchestrated a disciplined defence to ensure the Lions a crucial victory in Group B.
Watch highlights of the game here
Head coach Ståle Solbakken made just one change from FCK’s 4-0 win over FC Nordsjælland at the weekend, the boss replacing Igor Vetokele with Youssef Toutouh on the wing, while Nicolai Jørgensen moved up front alongside Daniel Braaten.
The Lions began with real intensity and got their early lead after a feisty opening few minutes. Braaten started the move cutting in from the right wing and back-heeling to Claudemir, who found Gislason in space on the right. The Icelander played the perfect ball, splitting goalkeeper and defender, as Braaten timed his run to meet and neatly clip it between his legs into the far corner.
Moments later it could have been 2-0 when Jørgensen headed Pierre Bengtsson’s inswinging free-kick onto the post as FCK mounted pressure on their opponents. They were clean through again on 17 minutes when Jørgensen collected a long ball and played Gislason in on the right of the box, only for the winger to slice his chance wide under pressure from Felipe Melo.
Braaten misses golden chance
Galatasaray thought they’d equalised 20 minutes in when Bruma converted off the rebound after Johan Wiland had spectacularly saved Burak Yilmaz’s downward header, only for the assistant referee to flag for offside. Melo also hit the far post from a corner from the right just after the half-hour as Galatasaray searched for a leveller.
Their efforts almost cost them a goal just before half time, however, when Braaten beat a high Gala line to bear down on goal completely uncontested. However, rather than pass right to Jørgensen for a simple tap in, Braaten chose to shoot into goalkeeper Eray Iscan’s legs – much to the frustration of the PARKEN crowd.
The second half saw few chances for FCK as Ståle’s men sat further and further back in effort to protect their lead. Jørgensen fired a rare chance high into the Gala fans as most of the play was conducted at the other end of the field.
Watch highlights of the game here
Wiland received a fright early in the half when he came and missed a punch from a Gala free-kick, thankfully the ball running out of touch. Meanwhile, Didier Drogba had two chances within five minutes to equalise but Wiland twice blocked the Ivorian.
Ståle had already brought off the injured Gislason for Christian Bolaños and the manager then switched Youssef Toutouh with Thomas Kristensen in effort to bulk up the centre of midfield.
The move worked, for FCK frustrated their guests to long punts forward where Wiland was on hand on more than one occasion to collect. Claudemir was replaced by Georg Margreitter with three minutes remaining as the Lions held their fort and, after four nervous minutes of injury time that saw Gala throw everyone forward for a corner, referee Martin Atkinson finally brought the dramatic game to a close.
Copenhagen now sit third in Group B, one goal off Gala on four points each, with Juventus fourth on three points. A visit to Turin in three weeks is next up for Ståle and his men, but the Lions must face Esbjerg and Viborg in the league before then.
FC COPENHAGEN: 1 GALATASARAY: 0
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Jacobsen, Mellberg, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Delaney, Claudemir, Gislason, Toutouh, Jørgensen, Braaten.
Galatasaray: Iscan, Melo, A Yilmaz, Inan, Drogba, B Yilmaz, Bruma, Chedjou, Kaya, Eboue, Riera.
Goals: Braaten (6’).
Referee: Martin Atkinson (ENG).
