FCK v AGF ends scoreless

04/12 2011 20:29

The final Superliga game of the autumn saw FC Copenhagen return from UEFA Europa League action to face a strong Aarhus GF side in PARKEN. Head coach Roland Nilsson opted for two changes to his squad that started in the Ukraine on Wednesday, Thomas Delaney and Lars Jacobsen earning starting roles.

by Joe Short

Copenhagen got off to a steady start, controlling the flow of play in search of their first opening. However, a resolute AGF defence and midfield meant breaking down the away side was tricky. Indeed, it was 11 minutes before the first shooting chance arose, Bryan Oviedo soaring into the box to fire a shot at goalkeeper Steffen Rasmussen.

AGF generated their first opportunity after a quarter of an hour. Oviedo played Søren Larsen onside from a throughball, but the striker lacked the composure and scuffed his effort wide of Johan Wiland’s right hand post.

It was due to Rasmussen’s heroics that AGF didn’t find themselves a goal down after 20 minutes. A penetrating Oviedo run into the box saw the ball spill out to Claudemir on the edge, whose sweet strike beat the keeper but rattled off the crossbar. Dame N’Doye pounced on the rebound, but Rasmussen managed to block his speculative side-ways scissor kick and push the ball out for a corner.

Wiland just won’t be beaten!

There was a period of calm after N’Doye’s effort as AGF tightened up their defence, happy to let Copenhagen play across two banks of four without any real threat. Lars Jacobsen did cause a scare for Rasmussen from the right wing, when the full back shot from range to try and catch the keeper off guard at his near post.

The real action of the half came five minutes before the break however, where Wiland showed his class in preventing three golden AGF opportunities. The Lions keeper first beat away Larsen’s downward header, before recovering to block former FCK player Hjalte Nørregaard’s rebounded effort. From the following corner, Alte Roar Håland got the better of Ragnar Sigurdsson, but not of Wiland, who dived down to his right to claw the defender’s goal-bound effort away from danger.

Half time saw no changes to the FCK squad, and the second half began as the first. Neither side looked promising going forward; with Copenhagen again forced to pass sideways along their midfield. It took to the hour mark for a noteworthy chance to materialise, Cesar Santin flicking an N’Doye cross over Rasmussen’s goal. The Brazilian almost broke free in the AGF box minutes later, but Anders Kure cleared in time.

Lions pepper AGF goal

Kure would come to prove his worth in the heart of the AGF defence moments after the clearance, getting in the way of a strong N’Doye header following patient work from Pape Pate Diouf on the left wing. With 20 minutes remaining Morten Nordstrand and Martin Vingaard entered the field for Santin and Diouf, but it was Claudemir who produced the next effort on goal, a well-struck shot from the edge of a crowded area that clipped off the post on its way wide.

A succession of corners dotted the final ten minutes as the Lions looked to find a breakthrough. Christian Bolaños saw a decent effort deflected wide before N’Doye worked his way down the right channel with five minutes remaining, but Rasmussen pulled off a wonderful save to tip the striker’s effort over the crossbar.

In the dying seconds Vingaard found room in a packed AGF box to swing a leg at a loose ball, but his volley was blocked on its way through and duly cleared. Copenhagen, as try as they might, simply could not break down a resolute AGF side. The final game of the Superliga autumn may have ended 0-0, but it was as entertaining and tense as any tie witnessed this season.

FC COPENHAGEN: 0 AGF: 0

FC Copenhagen: Wiland (C), Jacobsen, Ottesen, Sigurdsson, Oviedo, Bolaños, Delaney, Claudemir, Diouf, Santin, N’Doye.

AGF: Rasmussen, Sorin, Kure, Håland, Eckersley, Berg, Nørregaard, Jørgensen, Lucena, Sloth, Larsen.

Referee: Michael Johansen.