FCK go down fighting in the Nou Camp
FC BARCELONA: 2 FC COPENHAGEN: 0
FC Barcelona: Pinto (GK), Alves, Piqué, Puyol (C), Villa, Iniesta, Messi, Mascherano, Busquets, Maxwell, Abidal.
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Wendt, Antonsson, Zanka, Pospech, Vingaard, Kvist (C), Claudemir, Grønkjær, Santin, N’Doye.
Referee: Stéphane Lannoy
Booked: N’Doye, Pospech, Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
FC Copenhagen departed for the Nou Camp on Wednesday evening with the knowledge that 7,000 avid FCK fans had also made the trip across Europe to Barcelona. Sitting in the rafters of the stadium couldn’t deter the Copenhagen faithful from loudly greeting the squad for their pre-match warm up, as they prepared for round three of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
by Joe Short
The previous evening, Coach Ståle Solbakken made assurances that his team was fully fit and ready to go. Therefore, there were no surprises in the starting XI, as Solbakken made only one change from the 5-0 win over OB last Sunday: Jesper Grønkjær replacing Christian Bolaños on the wing.
It was Copenhagen who were first out of the blocks, playing a high defence in the opening stages. Zdenek Pospech got his first taste of goalmouth action in the first minute, cutting inside before slicing his left footed effort. Three minutes later, and Barcelona showed their class; David Villa chipping a delightful effort over Johan Wiland, but off the top of the crossbar.
Perfection only way through Danish defence
FCK were evidently sticking to the game plan Solbakken had outlined, keeping a rigid yet high defence to stifle the Barcelona front three. However, this couldn’t prevent Maxwell creating an effort on 9 minutes from a tight angle, which was stoutly blocked by Wiland.
Although the opening ten minutes were mainly Barcelona’s, the Lions began to get into their stride on the quarter hour mark. Grønkjær had a shot deflected into goalkeeper Pinto’s hands, but two minutes later the home side took the lead. Andrés Iniesta made space for himself on the edge on the FCK box, drew two players in before cutting back to Lionel Messi. The Argentine ducked left and fired a sweet shot into the net to make it 1-0, Wiland stretching.
The speed of the Barcelona attack was incredible, and only a last ditch tackle from Mathais Zanka could prevent Villa from making it two after 20 minutes. It took Copenhagen a while to respond, and in the 26th minute they wasted their best chance of the half. Cesar Santin beat the offside trap perfectly as Barcelona looked to push up the field, but pulled up short of the ball under the assumption that the whistle had been blown. Maybe a noise from the crowd, but the assistant referee’s flag had stayed down, much to FCK’s frustration as Carlos Puyol collected the lose ball.
Structural approach to second half
After Villa had a goal disallowed for offside on the half hour mark, the Spaniard found space to volley a powerful shot at goal, but Wiland saved well to his left. Messi was then prevented from bagging a second goal on 37 minutes, again the offside flag saving Copenhagen; while Daniel Alves tested Wiland with a low shot just before half time.
As in the first half, Copenhagen started the quickest after kick off, as Pospech sent in a tempting cross from the right wing that narrowly evaded both Santin and Dame N’Doye. Solbakken had evidently said a word or two at half time, and the Danish outfit began to push their opponents back into their own half, giving Barcelona a prolonged spell of possession away from Wiland’s goal.
Messi hit an effort high over the bar after Mikael Antonsson gave the ball away in the 62nd minute, while Sergio Busquets had to be quick to head away a dangerous Pospech cross: Santin lurking at the far post.
N’Doye so close
Bar the 7,000 Danes, the Nou Camp almost fell into silence on 66 minutes, as N’Doye collected a high ball on the turn to escape Puyol’s marking and strike a thunderous effort off the bottom of Pinto’s crossbar. The ball rebounded out to Santin, free on the edge of the box and with a whole goal to aim at, but his header bobbled agonisingly wide on the right hand post.
Copenhagen were not allowed to dwell on this missed chance however, as Vila again came close to a goal; a Wiland spider save the only blockade for the Spaniard to double the Barcelona lead. In the 73rd minute substitute Bolaños was inches away from connecting with a Grønkjær cross, but Alves was there to snatch it away at the last second.
Long range shot worth a punt
Kenneth Zohore replaced Santin soon after, and what followed was a lengthy spell of Spanish possession without any real conviction. Occasional FCK spurts were duly squashed by Puyol and Gerard Piqué, as substitute Xavi Hernández controlled the midfield. This could not prevent William Kvist from possibly snatching a point for the Lions in the 88th minute, as he sent a 45-yard shot high into the Barcelona night sky. Pinto scrambled back to reach the ball just in time and tip it round the post.
After Alves – again surging forward – hit the base of the FCK post with a minute remaining, it was down to Messi to seal the win for Barcelona. In the final seconds of stoppage time, the striker bundled the ball into an empty net to secure a 2-0 win for the Spanish giants.
Copenhagen will not be disappointed however, as they stuck to their guns and played the game Solbakken said they would. The experience will undoubtedly put the Danish champions in good stead for the return leg at PARKEN in two weeks time. As for the Group D standings, a 0-0 draw between Panathinaikos and Rubin Kazan means FCK have a healthy 4-point lead over their two other opponents, and sit in second place, just a point behind tonight’s victors.
