N'Doye hits brace in 3-0 win
Copenhagen came into the game with the knowledge that a win against SønderjyskE would equal the previous record of 11 home league victories in a row. However, this did still not prevent coach Ståle Solbakken from changing half his starting XI following their 2-0 victory over Silkeborg last Monday.
by Joe Short
Pierre Bengtsson and Mikael Antonsson came back into the defence after one-game absences, while Dame N’Doye returned from a suspension. Meanwhile, César Santin came into the attack as Jesper Grønkjær took up the captain’s armband in midfield. William Kvist and Claudemir were rested for Thomas Kristensen and Thomas Delaney in the centre of the park. It was also Kim Christensen’s first start of the Superliga season, as Johan Wiland was rested.
The shake up of the squad took time to settle down and SønderjyskE enjoyed the majority of the early play. Christensen got down well to save Kenneth Fabricius’s effort, before a mistake from Jos Hooiveld let the striker in again, only for Christensen to block with his boot.
TK volley gives Lions lead
Quincy Antipas had an effort deflected wide having found room to turn in the FCK penalty area, and it proved a costly miss as just minutes later the home side took the lead. Grønkjær crossed for N’Doye, whose chest control fell into the path of Kristensen. The midfielder’s right-footed volley was far out of Nathan Coe’s reach as PARKEN erupted.
The goal seemed to settle the Lions down, as preceding Kristensen’s effort they had been struggling to get the ball forward. However, FCK were soon on the attack and Christian Bolaños should have made better use of a penetrating Bengtsson charge. However, the Costa Rican’s final effort fell closer to the halfway line than the net.
As SønderjyskE looked to push back into the game they were dealt a severe blow when a piece of N’Doye brilliance put the Lions 2-0 up. Hooiveld played the ball long to N’Doye, who chested it down, turned his man, and fired past Coe from inside the area. The goal was N’Doye’s twentieth of the season, a milestone never reached by an FCK player.
Kvist and Claudemir provide stability
The Senegalese striker could have got a second after he headed in from an in-swinging corner. However referee Michael Tykgaard gave a free kick for a foul on Coe, much to N’Doye’s frustration. Just before half time Zdenek Pospech stormed into the SE penalty area, but sliced his shot wide.
The second half started slowly as SønderjyskE pushed men forward in search of a goal. However, the only real effort before the hour mark was an in-swinging corner that Christensen had to punch clear form under his own crossbar. With the game at a stalemate, Solbakken brought on Kvist and Claudemir for Delaney and Grønkjær, and suddenly play was opened up. Indeed, seconds after the change Bolaños forced his way through the SE defence but missed his attempted flick at goal.
In the 71st minute both Santin and N’Doye saw their goal-bound efforts blocked, but just eight minutes later the latter sealed all three points with a neat header. He made room for himself in the box and left Pospech to find him with a pinpoint low cross from the right wing. Kvist and Claudemir controlled the play for the remaining ten minutes to ensure a clean sheet for the Lions and advance their Superliga points total to 73.
FC COPENHAGEN: 3 SØNDERJYSKE: 0
FC Copenhagen: Christensen, Bengtsson, Antonsson, Hooiveld, Pospech, Bolaños, Kristensen, Delaney, Grønkjær (C), Santin, N’Doye.
SønderjyskE: Coe, Storbæk, Sidorenkov, Østil, Jessen, Hédinsson, Skúlason (C), Thomsen, Frederiksen, Antipas, Fabricius.
Goals: Kristensen (16’), N’Doye (32’), N’Doye (80’)
Referee: Michael Tykgaard.
Photo: Sportsagency.dk
