Lions win in Funen

Igor Vetokele's second-half volley was enough to earn FC Copenhagen their first win in the spring half of the Superliga season.

by Joe Short

The Belgian striker peeled away from his marker to clip Christoffer Remmer's looping delivery past OB goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen.

Rurik Gislason and Pierre Bengtsson also went close for FCK in a scrappy game of few chances.

Johan Wiland was called upon to make saves from Azer Busuladic and Darko Bodul but the goalkeeper had a quiet afternoon on his return from injury.

Jørgensen subbed after 11 minutes

Head coach Ståle Solbakken made two changes from his side's defeat to Midtjylland last weekend, with Johan Wiland returning between the sticks following a back injury. Claudemir came into the side in midfield as a replacement for the suspended Andreas Cornelius, with Nicolai Jørgensen moving up front.

Yet Jørgensen's continued comeback from injury lasted all of 11 minutes before the forward was forced off the field with a hamstring niggle - Daniel Braaten replacing the 23-year-old up front.

It took until the 16th minute for FCK to record their first shot at goal, a ranged effort from Rurik Gislason that was never troubling OB goalkeeper Christiansen. At the other end, Morten Skoubo turned neatly to hook a half volley over Johan Wiland but onto the roof of the FCK net.

Wiland on guard on Lions return

The game entered a period of attrition after the early chances, with neither side willing to gamble too many men forward. Olof Mellberg did well to cover his team-mate Christoffer Remmer and block Jacob Schoop's effort on the half-hour mark, but that was a rare chance as the game settled into a slow rhythm.

A minute before half time Wiland was twice called into action, first to punch away Azer Busuladic's dangerous flicked header from a corner before calmly collecting a fierce Skoubo effort into his midriff.

Vetokele bags the opener

The Lions began the second half with much more verve and almost took the lead 50 minutes in when Bengtsson's deflected cross was cleared off the OB goal line. But the home side were not so lucky a minute later when Remmer delivered a deep cross from the right byline to Vetokele, who dropped off his man and squeezed in a flying volley past Christiansen at the far post.

Thomas Kristensen replaced Gislason on the hour mark as FCK solidified their midfield following the goal, yet the Lions offered the occasional foray forward - the most impactful Remmer's charge into the OB half and low drive into Christiansen's hands - while Braaten was required to don a head bandage following a collision with Anders Møller Christensen.

Ståle suffered another injury scare with 15 minutes remaining when Vetokele went down clutching his groin near the FCK left-hand corner. The Belgian was immediately substituted for Lars Jacobsen, who moved to right-back, pushing Remmer into midfield and Braaten up front.

Copenhagen hold on for the win

Five minutes from time and OB threw men forward in search of the equaliser and substitute Bodul thought he had it, but Wiland arched magnificently to his right to fist away the striker's effort.

Defender Kasper Larsen sent over a free header from the edge of the FCK box as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time, which was largely spent in the opposition half until referee Jakob Kehlet blew for full time.

Next up for FCK is an away trip to SønderjyskE on Friday.

ODENSE BK: 0 FC COPENHAGEN: 1

OB: Christiansen, Ruud, Larsen, Christensen, Skulason, Larsen, Schoop, Spelmann, Busuladic, Skoubo, Falk.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Remmer, Mellberg, Stadsgaard, Bengtsson, Delaney, Claudemir, Gislason, Toutouh, Jørgensen, Vetokele.

Goals: Vetokele (51').

Referee: Jakob Kehlet.