Deserved point keeps European dream alive

Head coach Ståle Solbakken elected to make just one change to the starting line-up to face FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, from his side’s weekend win over Lyngby BK. Jesper Grønkjær – rested for the Superliga game – came in to replace Kenneth Zohore up front, as F.C. Copenhagen stuck to their preferred 4-4-2 formation.

by Joe Short

Winning goal-scorer Sölvi Ottesen remained on the bench after his last-gasp strike at the weekend, while Cesar Santin was deemed too unfit to risk a starting XI place, and so watched the kick off from the substitute bench as well.

 

The excited atmosphere was reflected on the pitch within the first minute, as Christian Bolaños followed through in a challenge on Carlos Puyol. The defender needed treatment but was OK to continue. However, he could not prevent an early FCK chance that sent PARKEN roaring with eager suspense. The Lions forward men closed down deep Barcelona possession, and forced a lose ball to drop to Claudemir. The midfielder steadied himself before firing a rocket at goal, but his shot desperately clipped the corner of the FCB woodwork.

 

What followed was a long spell of Barcelona ball retention, as the away side settled any opening nerves. The FCK defensive line stayed high to keep the pressure on their opponents however; and prevented any meaningful opportunity from occurring within the opening ten minutes.

 

N’Doye poleaxed

A big moment of concern for Copenhagen came in the 11th minute, when Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdés rushed out of his area and collided into Dame N’Doye. The Spaniard’s knee appeared to hit N’Doye’s chin, and what followed was a lengthy pause to the game as players from both sides urgently waved the FCK physio and medical staff onto the pitch. N’Doye looked visibly shaken – understandable in light of the amount of time he was treated – but eventually the striker deemed himself fit to continue play.

 

In the 16th minute Martin Vingaard almost took the lead for the Danish champions, after two successive inswinging corners caught Valdés off his guard at his near post, but the keeper got enough on both efforts to keep the scores level. In return, Andrés Iniesta played a perfectly weighted through-ball to David Villa on the right of the FCK box, but his shot shaved the outside of the far post. William Kvist then span a shot high and wide.

 

Barcelona began to control the game before the half hour, playing professional football as they kept possession around their midfield and defence without any urgency to move forward. However, they eventually broke through the FCK ranks on 31 minutes. Lionel Messi was first on hand to collect a rebounded shot, and poked the ball past Wiland from eight yards out to give the Catalonians a 1-0 lead.

 

Immediate Copenhagen response

The PARKEN crowd would not be silenced however, and continued their chanting throughout the Barcelona goal celebration. This resilience may have rubbed off on their players, as just over a minute later F.C. Copenhagen equalised. The ball broke to Oscar Wendt on the left wing, who quickly played down the flank to Grønkjær. The veteran striker showed he still has a spring in his step as he bypassed his man before crossing from the byline. Valdés came out of goal but fumbled his catch, and the ball sailed over to the back post, where Claudemir popped up to fire a volley back across goal off the stump of the upright and into the net.

 

The equaliser sent the PARKEN faithful into pandemonium, partly for the importance of the strike, and partly for the quality of it. At 1-1 Copenhagen showed their flair capabilities, as three minutes after the goal some great one-touch forward passing from N’Doye and Bolaños sent Wendt charging through on the left. His shot was low and Valdés did well to hold onto it.

 

In the 37th minute Messi had an opportunity to score his second of the game, but Wiland held his diving header tight into his chest. Villa then sent a dipping shot towards goal a minute later, but again the FCK stopper got low down to his left to prevent a sure goal. Maybe it was nerves, but Copenhagen struggled to gain much of the ball leading up to the break, and were almost punished when Messi flicked a cross towards goal; but again Wiland was there: this time to tip wide.

 

Barcelona pepper Wiland’s goal

The Lions came out after the break with the same urgency as the first half. Zdenek Pospech sent a wild shot high over the Barcelona crossbar in the 51st minute, as Copenhagen began to push back their European counterparts. However, three FCB efforts in quick succession highlighted the threat within the Spanish giants. First Xavi Hernández had a shot blocked by Mathias Zanka, before Iniesta tricked his way past Pospech to shoot into Wiland’s chest; while Seydou Keita’s left-footed effort almost stunned the home crowd, had it not dribbled narrowly wide.

 

What followed on the hour mark was another confident passage of Barcelona possession, and yet it was FCK who looked most threatening. Numerous half chances – an intercepted Pospech cross; N’Doye close to running through on goal; and a Bolaños volley over the bar at the back post – were created, yet F.C Copenhagen could not penetrate the Barcelona goal.

 

And yet in the 73rd minute half of PARKEN thought they had done. N’Doye met a cross from the left with a firm header that sailed into the corner of the goal, but was adjudged to have pushed Puyol in the build-up. So close and yet so far, but this did not dampen FCK’s spirit. Having forced Valdés into an aimless kick up field to regain FCK possession, Bolaños used all his trickery in an attempt to navigate his way through the away defence. A quick head was all that stood in the way of the Costa Rican and goal.

 

FCK battle to the end

Barcelona proved why they are so universally acknowledged though, as they again began to impose themselves on the game as the clock ticked down. First, Keita had a free header from the Messi corner, but the ball ended up in the travelling crowd behind the goal; while substitute Pedro Rodrîguez saw his hard shot rebound off the post after patient FCB build-up in the final seconds of the game.

 

As the referee blew his whistle for full time, a nervous PARKEN erupted in jubilation. Holding one of the top sides in Europe is no mean feat, but what is even more important is the point earned from the 1-1 draw. The Lions players – who stayed behind after the game to sing in unison with their raucous fans – will see their performance as a job well done when viewing the Group D table.

 

After a 0-0 draw between FC Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos FC in Russia earlier in the day, FCK maintain their four-point lead over their opponents; and keep their second-place spot behind FC Barcelona. With two games raining, a victory in either match will ensure qualification to the knockout round of Europe’s premier club competition.

 

F.C. COPENHAGEN: 1  F.C. BARCELONA: 1

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Zanka, Antonsson, Wendt, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Vingaard, Grønkjær, N'Doye.

FC Barcelona: Valdés (GK), Alves, Piqué, Puyol (C), Xavi, Villa, Iniesta, Messi, Keita, Busquets, Abidal.

Referee: Christian Balaj

Goals: Messi, FCB (31’), Claudemir (32’).

Booked: Busquets (FCB), Pospech.