FCK.DK
Leicester edge FCK in Champions League
18/10 2016 23:00
Leicester ended FC Copenhagen's 23-match unbeaten run with a narrow 1-0-victory at King Power Stadium that could have gone either way.
- Defensively we were close to flawless, but offensively they are difficult to play against - as we knew. Still we created three or four chances, and that's what you can expect at this level. And if Andreas Cornelius had scored in the last minute, it would have been a perfect evening. But I can't blame my players for the performance tonight. We could have won, we could have drawn, and we could have lost - and we lost, said manager Ståle Solbakken after the game.
He referred to a shot from in-form striker Cornelius in the 90th minute, when only a superb save from Foxes goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel denied the equaliser.
Copenhagen showed courage and confidence in the first half and controlled the game, proving that their performance and result in the Porto away game not was a lucky punch. But Riyad Mahrez's goal five minutes before the interval changed the conditions of the game, though Cornelius was close to levelling a few minutes later with a header that Schmeichel couldn't reach - but it went inches wide.
In the second half Leicester had a couple of chances to increase the lead during a period when FCK struggled to find their game, and Islam Slimani had a goal disallowed for offside, which definitely could have sealed the victory.
But Copenhagen refused to give up and managed to fight back and put pressure on the home team in the last 15 minutes - and close to end, they created two great chances to get even. First, a Federico Santander header was deflected just over the crossbar, and then came the Cornelius shot that was brilliantly set up by Santander and produced the stunning save from Schmeichel.
- I was certain the ball would go in! Of course we are disappointed, but I think we still can be proud of our performance tonight, said Cornelius after the game.
The two teams meet again in Copenhagen on Nov 2, and tickets for this game is now on sale. Find more information here.
- Defensively we were close to flawless, but offensively they are difficult to play against - as we knew. Still we created three or four chances, and that's what you can expect at this level. And if Andreas Cornelius had scored in the last minute, it would have been a perfect evening. But I can't blame my players for the performance tonight. We could have won, we could have drawn, and we could have lost - and we lost, said manager Ståle Solbakken after the game.
He referred to a shot from in-form striker Cornelius in the 90th minute, when only a superb save from Foxes goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel denied the equaliser.
Copenhagen showed courage and confidence in the first half and controlled the game, proving that their performance and result in the Porto away game not was a lucky punch. But Riyad Mahrez's goal five minutes before the interval changed the conditions of the game, though Cornelius was close to levelling a few minutes later with a header that Schmeichel couldn't reach - but it went inches wide.
In the second half Leicester had a couple of chances to increase the lead during a period when FCK struggled to find their game, and Islam Slimani had a goal disallowed for offside, which definitely could have sealed the victory.
But Copenhagen refused to give up and managed to fight back and put pressure on the home team in the last 15 minutes - and close to end, they created two great chances to get even. First, a Federico Santander header was deflected just over the crossbar, and then came the Cornelius shot that was brilliantly set up by Santander and produced the stunning save from Schmeichel.
- I was certain the ball would go in! Of course we are disappointed, but I think we still can be proud of our performance tonight, said Cornelius after the game.
The two teams meet again in Copenhagen on Nov 2, and tickets for this game is now on sale. Find more information here.
LEICESTER CITY: 1 FC COPENHAGEN: 0
FC Copenhagen: Olsen – Ankersen (Gregus 87'), Zanka, Johansson, Augustinsson – Verbic (Falk 66'), Kvist, Delaney, Touotuh (Pavlovic 85') - Santander, Cornelius
Leicester: Schmeichel – Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs – Mahrez (Amartey '92), Drinkwater, King, Albrighton – Slimani (Ulloa 88'), Vardy (Okazaki 86')
Goal: Mahrez (40')
Cards: Fuchs (79'), Zanka Jørgensen (88')
Attendance: 31.037
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli, Italy
