Not quite there yet!
Tuesday night saw F.C. Copenhagen dominate and deservedly beat APOEL Nicosia 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play off tie. However, because the end result only produced the narrowest of wins hard work awaits if F.C. Copenhagen are to qualify for the group stage.
By Lars Kristensen
From the onset it was clear that APOEL intended to act with minimum risk, happily handing the initiative to the home side and focusing entirely on defence. As many of the F.C. Copenhagen players quite obviously struggled to get their game going, this strategy must still have seemed highly promising to the Cypriots quite late into the game. Actually, the home crowd had to wait until the 54th minute before F.C. Copenhagen produced an effort that was on target. However, on a day where few things went as planned, the team showed true Champions League form by in fact scoring on that first genuine opportunity. Wendt overlapped on Grønkjær and sent a curved ball into the head of Pospech who had sneaked forward, lurking at the far post. Simple and effective, this play opened up the game completely but although both teams might have scored on one of several ensuing opportunities, F.C. Copenhagen did in fact come closer when Ailton hid the post.
Zdenek Pospech
- The ball acted a little funny today; I could not quite get the better of it. Then again, perhaps I did touch it rather beautifully when I scored but it was on a fine cross too.
Jesper Grønkjær
- We did not exactly outperform ourselves today but we got the job done anyway and with 1-0 we are certainly better off now than we were at the kick-off. Most of the time we were 21 of us playing on their half making it a very difficult game indeed. Still, we did in fact get within inches of netting a follow-up. In the end however, 1-0 is fine result to bring to Cyprus.
Mikael Antonsson
- Not conceding a goal was extremely important. 2-0 or 3-0 would have been better, of course, but we won! A tough return leg perhaps, but they will be forced to open up their game a lot more and that carries a lot of promise for our team.
César Santin
- APOEL may be strong at home, but from 1-0 our chances of progressing are relatively good. I will probably not be playing SAS Liga this coming weekend but hopefully I will be fit for the away game.
The return leg will be played on 26 Aug at 20.45 CET at the Neo GSP Stadium in Nicosia.
Game stats:
F.C. Copenhagen – APOEL FC 1-0 (0-0)
1-0 Pospech (54)
Spectators: 16.260
