Extra-time defeat in France
FC Copenhagen’s qualification efforts for the UEFA Champions League came to an end on Wednesday after they suffered a 2-0 defeat to LOSC Lille in France. Lille progress with a 2-1 aggregate victory and FCK will instead play in the UEFA Europa League this season.
by Joe Short
Head coach Ariel Jacobs kept the same XI that beat their European opponents 1-0 in the first leg in PARKEN last week, with goalscorer César Santin starting alongside Nicolai Jørgensen once more.
It was Santin who should have opened the scoring just five minutes into the game. After a procession of head tennis in the midfield Christian Bolaños sent the Brazilian through on goal. With defenders chasing him down Santin chose to shoot early but flicked the ball high and wide of the net.
Following the chance came a prolonged onslaught of Lille pressure, with FCK unable to pass out of their own half. Marvin Martin was only prevented by a diving block from Kriss Stadsgaard before Johan Wiland saved the follow-up effort. When Copenhagen did have the ball the central midfield partnership of Thomas Kristensen and Claudemir looked comfortable and reserved in possession.
Lille break deadlock minutes before half time
Wiland came to the rescue after 18 minutes, palming Marko Basa’s diving header over the crossbar from a dangerous free-kick. Claudemir almost scored an own goal two minutes later, flicking a cross goal-bound that Wiland did well to catch. After persistent fouling Kristensen was eventually booked on 28 minutes, as was Bryan Oviedo moments later for a niggly challenge on Florent Balmont.
Lille continued to pressure FCK’s backline but never really penetrated: Dimitri Payet blazing over the bar from range on 36 minutes. Soon after and Santin was once more released free up field, but backtracking defenders closed him down after he jinked his way into the right side of the Lille box.
After a spell of cagey play Lille opened the scoring when Salomon Kalou beat the offside trap, knocked across the face of goal where Lucas Digne steamed in to blast the ball into an unguarded net.
Bolaños defends for the cause
With no changes made at the break Jacobs’ men went back out for the second half and started brightly, forcing a couple of corners and a free-kick that put Lille’s defence on their toes. On the hour mark Santin was replaced by Andreas Cornelius as FCK searched for that vital winning goal.
Yet it was at the other end that the next big chance came when Túlio de Melo headed a corner cross narrowly wide of Wiland’s right-hand post. Only Bolaños’ defensive strength and determination prevented Digne breaking through the FCK box on 68 minutes, while the Costa Rican also slid in to prevent Kalou from shooting a while later.
De Melo threatened with a decent header as the game entered the final quarter-of-an-hour but Wiland again matched the effort, while substitute Cornelius proved his defensive qualities with a solid clearance from an inswinging free-kick. De Melo hit the crossbar with a close-range header on 84 minutes just to add to the nerves!
With five minutes remaining new Copenhagen signing Igor Vetokele made his debut for the club, moving to the right wing in replace of Bolaños. The Belgian was straight into the action with an emphatic challenge on Dinge as the game entered two minutes of stoppage time.
Extra time
With nothing of note coming from the extension, the game entered 30 minutes of extra time. Just two minutes in Vetokele picked out Jørgensen with a great pass but the striker’s tired finish hit the out-coming Mickael Landreau. At the other end Nolan Roux looped a free header over Wiland’s crossbar in Lille’s first attack of extra time.
On 12 minutes Cornelius got his first attempt when Claudemir whipped in a deep cross for the striker, but Landreau met the header well. Almost completely out of the blue Lille scored a their second when Roux chipped over to De Melo who finally saw a headed effort sail past Wiland.
FCK went into the second half of extra time knowing only a goal would save them, and when Kalou spurned a headed chance on 18 minutes it was clear the away side would have to push forward. Jørgensen glanced over the bar a direct free-kick from Bengtsson which turned out to be the Lions’ last chance of a difficult encounter, Lille progressing to the Champions League.
LOSC LILLE: 2 FC COPENHAGEN: 0 (2-1 on aggregate)
LOSC Lille: Landreau, Digne, Béria, Chedjou, Basa, Balmont, Martin, Mavuba (C), Payet, Kalou, De Melo.
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Jacobsen (C), Stadsgaard, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kristensen, Oviedo, Jørgensen, Santin.
Goals: Digne, LOSC Lille (43’), De Melo, LOSC Lille (105’).
Referee: Pavel Kralovec (CZE).
