Lions take slender first-leg advantage

18/04 2012 20:07

Head coach Carsten V. Jensen made a variety of changes to his first XI ahead of FC Copenhagen’s DBU Cup semi final against SønderjyskE. Kim Christensen was handed a start between the posts, with Kris Stadsgaard and Pierre Bengtsson adding to the defence. Claudemir returned for his first start in a month, while Mos Abdellaoue joined Dame N’Doye up front.

by Joe Short

And it was Abdellaoue who got FCK off to a wonderful start. Having scored his first official goal for the Lions on Sunday, the Norwegian made it two in two with a poacher’s goal in the fourth minute. Ragnar Sigurdsson flicked on a corner towards goal for Abdellaoue to meet, nodding home from close range.

Abdellaoue was certainly making his presence known. Moments after the goal he came close with a wide effort from the edge of Nathan Coe’s box, while he clumsily fouled SønderjyskE captain Henrik Hansen at the other end of the pitch. The early pressure continued with N’Doye trying his luck from long range, but SønderjyskE generally did well to stopper FCK’s advances.

18 minutes in and it became clear Thomas Kristensen could not continue due to an injury to his right hamstring, and so CV was forced into an early substitution, bringing on Christian Grindheim to the middle of the park. Moments later and Pape Pate Diouf saw an effort blocked by N’Doye, who controlled the half shot, turned, but couldn’t squeeze anything out of it.

Bolaños almost doubles lead

SønderjyskE did manage to force the ball in the net on 21 minutes, but Eyjólfur Hé?insson’s heavy challenge on an airborne Christensen – who was then bundled behind the line – only earned the midfielder a yellow card. Quincy Antipas came close in the next passage of play, skinning Lars Jacobsen before cutting inside and firing wide of the far left-hand post.

While the away side found freedom on their left wing, FCK used the same flank to surge forward in the 28th minute. Christian Bolaños took it upon himself to advance with the ball, reach the edge of the penalty area and try his luck. Unfortunately, his effort took a deflection and looped over Nathan Coe’s crossbar. From the resulting corner N’Doye went down under an aerial collision, and was evidently shaken up as the FCK medical staff attended to a knock to the face.

In the 36th minute Claudemir had a chance to score, but his curled effort from the corner of the box flew high over. At the other end Christensen was called into action after Hé?insson and Lasse Vibe exchanged a neat one-two, only for the latter to prod into the keeper’s hands.

Away side surge forward

SønderjyskE controlled the majority of the latter stages before half time, Antipas with their best chance five minutes before the break. Cutting across Stadsgaard with a diagonal run saw the forward free on the right edge of the box. His low effort rolled past Christensen, but luckily also FCK’s far post.

Half time saw no changes to either side, and SønderjyskE came out for the second in much the same spirits. A five-man melee in front of Christensen’s goal failed to force the ball over the line as FCK doggedly defended their territory. Bolaños then sent a shot over the bar on 51 minutes, the match very much in the balance.

Bengtsson found opportunity to surge forward five minutes later, thundering a strike narrowly over the corner of Coe’s goal having run into acres of space down the left flank. On the hour mark Vibe meandered his way into the FCK box, but his shot was deflected wide. From the resulting corner Hallgrímur Jónasson was too slow to react as the ball fell to his feet in front of goal.

Nordstrand nods wide

N’Doye almost scored one of his typical headed goals following determined work from Bengtsson to deliver a cross from the left. The striker couldn’t get above the ball however, his effort sailing high into the crowd. Substitute Bryan Oviedo had a shot well saved with 15 minutes remaining, side-stepping Jarl Storbæk before firing low at Coe. Four minutes later and Morten Nordstrand came close with a near-post header, again from good Oviedo play.

With ten minutes remaining a stunning Christensen save prevented Kenneth Fabricius from equalising while Claudemir was very lucky not to concede a penalty from the resulting corner for a foul on Tommy Bechmann. Nordstrand sent another header off target with minutes remaining, which would be the last meaningful effort of an even game.

With the 1-0 result, FCK take a slender advantage to Jutland for the second leg of the DBU Cup semi finals. The game is set for a 17:00 (UK time) kick off next Wednesday.

FC COPENHAGEN: 1 SØNDERJYSKE: 0

FC Copenhagen: Christensen, Jacobsen, Stadsgaard, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Kristensen, Claudemir, Bolaños, Diouf, Abdellaoue, N’Doye(C).

Goals: Abdellaoue (4’).