FC Midtjylland-FCK 2-3 (a.e.t.)
It took 120 minutes to defeat FC Midtjylland for the second time in four days, and now we are ready for the semi-finals in the Danish Cup.
Head coach Ståle Solbakken knows that “Never change a winning team” is not a realistic strategy in modern football, when you have a large and competent squad and a tight schedule for the coming weeks. So when his team returned to Herning only three days after hammering them 4-1 in the league, he had left three key players back in Copenhagen, and two others started on the bench.
FC Midtjylland – who also had changed their team on several positions - opened the game far better than Monday and dominated against the more hesitating visitors. And it was not undeserved, when they took the lead after 17 minutes, even though it took a penalty to get the ball past Jesper Christiansen, after Atiba Hutchinson accidentally had tripped Serghei Dadu in the penalty area.
But 8 minutes later, FCM-keeper showed too much hospitality, when he rushed out of his goal, and Jesper Grønkjær could easily slip the ball past him, and Fredrik Berglund who threw himself before Kristian Bak and managed to slide the ball just over the goal line.
The energetic Fredrik Berglund got the equalizer
From then the game was more even and open, but before halftime FC Midtjylland went ahead again following a very good run by Dennis Sørensen down the middle and into the penalty area, where he looked up and found Baba Collins unmarked, and the talented Nigerian youngster first-timed the ball into the back of the net.
As the second half went by, Copenhagen seemed more and more dominating, while FC Midtjylland began to rely on counter-attacks. And 20 minutes into the second half, the game was level again, when central defender Dan Thomassen equalized from close range following a corner, which Grønkjær had flicked on.
With eleven minutes to go of the intense and very entertaining cup tie, Copenhagen thought they went ahead, when Atiba Hutchinson steered a spectacular overhead-kick from “Dan-the-man-Thomassen” into the net – but Hutch was judged to be offside. But it ended 2-2, and after a short break the players were ready for extra-time.
"Come on, guys!" Dan Thomassen shows the way...
A few minutes into the first half of extra-time, eks-Copenhagen-player Thomas Røll brought down Hutch in the penalty area, and the referee gave Hjalte Nørregaard a golden opportunity from the spot – but Heinze dived correctly and saved his weak effort.
Copenhagen continued to dominate the game, seeming to have more mental and physical strength than the tiring home team, and after 112 minutes Brede Hangeland – who came on after 90 minutes to play in central midfield – hammered the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
A few minutes before the end, Midtjylland went very close, but Jesper Christiansen pulled out a magnificent reflex when the ball deflected from his post and killed the last hope of a penalty shoot-out.
Marcus Allbäck, back in the line-up after his knee injury, played nearly two hours
All photos by Carl Redhead
MATCHFACTS:
FC MIDTJYLLAND-F.C. COPENHAGEN 2-3 (a.e.t.)
17.: 1-0 Dennis Sørensen (pen.)
25.: 1-1 Fredrik Berglund
40.: 2-1 Baba Collins
64.: 2-2 Dan Thomassen
102: 2-3 Brede Hangeland
Attendance: 6.520
F.C. Copenhagen: Jesper Christiansen – Lars Jacobsen (91.: Brede Hangeland), Michael Gravgaard, Dan Thomassen, Oscar Wendt – Jesper Grønkjær, Hjalte Nørregaard, William Kvist, Atiba Hutchinson – Fredrik Berglund (46.: Michael Silberbauer), Marcus Allbäck (116.: Jeppe Brandrup). (Un-used substitute: Thomas Villadsen.)
Bookings: Michael Silberbauer, Jesper Grønkjær and Marcus Allbäck
