Cornelius header wins the derby for F.C. Copenhagen

Andreas Cornelius ensured F.C. Copenhagen head into the international break five points clear at the top of the Danish Superliga after coming off the bench to win the derby 1-0 at Brøndby on Sunday.

Cornelius headed Felix Beijmo's cross into the near bottom corner of the net with just 11 minutes remaining of a tight contest at Brøndby Stadium.

Robert Silva also hit the post for Bo Svensson's men, who had to remain patient until Cornelius pounced with the winner.

After the game head coach Svensson said: "A great derby win – that goes without saying. It’s always wonderful to win here.

"We might not have played our best game, but we won again and kept a clean sheet for the fifth game in a row. Naturally I’m very pleased with that."

"I think we were clearly the better side before the break, creating several big chances – including Robert hitting the post – so we probably should have been leading at half time.

"The second half was more even, and we didn't create as much as we did before the break, but we still managed to get the goal – one we perhaps should have scored in the first half.

"It was great to see Corner come on and do what he does best. There were a few players who were doubtful leading up to the match, but our medical staff worked hard and did a fantastic job, so we had everyone available, which was necessary to get the win today."

Victory means the Lions go into the three-week international break to of the Superliga, with eight wins and one defeat from the opening nine games of the season.

Having also qualified for the league phase of the UEFA Conference League and progressed in the Danish Cup, Svensson now has a moment to reflect on the first busy period of the season.

"It’s been a gruelling schedule with 16 matches in two months, but generally I’m proud of how the squad has come through it," says the boss.

"There was just that one game against Viborg where we were completely off our game, but otherwise, we’ve managed to keep winning in the Superliga and in Europe. Lately, we’ve played some really good matches, but we’ve also shown our ability to win games through grit, fighting spirit, and individual performances.

"As I said, we also kept a clean sheet for the fifth match in a row; we’ve achieved good stability and a solid foundation, making it difficult for opponents to create chances against us.

"There are still periods where we can improve in possession, but now we look forward to a three-week break – time to take some time off and recharge, both physically and mentally – and then hopefully get in some good training sessions and a solid friendly against Hamburg before things get serious again."

The three-week break now follows but we will resume the season in October with an away match against FC Midtjylland and our first Conference League game at home against S.C. Braga. Remember that you can now purchase a ticket package for all three European matches or tickets for individual games.

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FCK team
Starting XI: Ramaj - Beijmo, Sørensen, Markgráf, López - Clem, Madsen - Král, Elyounoussi (anf.), Robert - Dadason
Final XI: Ramaj - Suzuki, Beijmo, Sørensen, Markgráf, López - Clem, Delaney (anf.) - Elyounoussi, Cornelius, Nasnas