FCK-Benfica 0-0
It was a special night for the Copenhagen fans, having waited several years for a ticket to the Champions League group stages, and they can look back on a satisfying point after a goalless draw against Benfica.
Copenhagen put Benfica under pressure from the beginning with non stop-running midfielders and an effective and consequent defense. Fredrik Berglund had to play alone up front, because of Allbäcks disciplinary ban, but he made the best of it, and in the 4th minute he nearly gave the homeside a dream-start, but his fierce shot was blocked. Centreback Gravgaard threatened Benfica with a volley after a cornerkick, but he missed the target, and before the first 15 minutes had passed, Brede Hangeland also had a good chance with a header.
The biggest chance came when Berglund earned a freekick right on the edge of the penalty area after Luisao had stopped him with a solid grip in his white jersey. But Tobias Linderoths freekick wasn’t accurate enough.
Benfica gradually came into the game, without really threatening the Copenhagen defence, and 10 minutes before half time Grønkjær showed his brilliant technique, when he raced pass Alcides and fired just outside the post. Unfortunately he was injured in the same moment, and a few minutes later he had to leave the pitch in pain, and William Kvist took his place.
In the second half Michael Silberbauer went close after 10 minutes, after he smartly turned away from Leo and fire from the distance, but just pass Quims goal. The two teams were very equal in this phase of the game, and during the second half it became obvious that Copenhagen lacked a target man up front, even though Berglund and Hutchinson worked very hard.
In the 70th minute Benfica got their first real chance of the game, when Paolo Jorge picked up the ball outside the penalty area and found space to hit a hard shot with his left foot, just to see the ball hit the right post of Jesper Christiansen and rebound back in his hands.
After that it seemed that Benfica were satisfied with one point, while Copenhagen still had the will and power to go for a winner. Eventually, the home team never came real close, even though Hutchinson and Kvist had good efforts from the distance.
Benfica substituted their offensive stars Simao and Nuno Gomes, and the Copenhagen defense must earn credit for not letting them to a single chance during the match.
It ended goalless, and both teams seemed satisfied with a point in this opening game in front of a fantastic home crowd, that definitely were on an international top level, as several international reporters remarked after the game.
When Ståle Solbakken was asked how on earth his team will survive in Benfica, Manchester and Glasgow without the vocal support from these 40.000, he noted that his team actually had won in Amsterdam!
