Ottesen header gives FCK advantage
Copenhagen’s new European campaign got underway in PARKEN this evening with the arrival of Irish club Shamrock Rovers in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
by Joe Short
Head coach Roland Nilsson named a strong squad to face the Rovers, as FCK looked to use their home advantage to take a positive result back to Ireland. Only one change was made from the weekend draw with OB, Thomas Delaney starting on the left wing in place of Thomas Kristensen.
Within the opening two minutes both sides had blazed over the crossbar. Copenhagen conducted the game in the opening stages, and took the lead after just four minutes. Pierre Bengtsson curled a cross in from the right for Sölvi Ottesen to flick on with his head at the near post to make it 1-0.
The goal was Ottesen’s third in two games, having scored a brace against OB on Saturday. However, he had no time to dwell on his success, Dean Kelly heading wide but proving the away side meant business shortly afterwards.
Diouf almost doubles advantage
The pace died somewhat after the early goal, as the Rovers contented themselves with letting FCK pass across their back line. Indeed, it took until the 19th minute for another goalscoring opportunity to arise. Christian Bolaños curled a 25-yard free kick just wide of Ryan Thompson’s right-hand post.
Pape Pate Diouf should have done better from a chance on 26 minutes, after a determined run saw the Senegalese beat Craig Sives, cut inside but blast high over the crossbar from close range. Mathias Zanka then tested his ability as a striker, but found the back end of the B Stand lower tier instead of the net.
Just before half time FCK almost doubled their lead. A flowing counter attack instigated by Bolaños soon had Diouf and César Santin involved. Santin played wide to the left to Delaney who found Diouf with a perfectly weighted cross. The striker rose high and pounded a header at goal, only to see Thompson leap and intervene, tipping wide for a corner.
Ottesen keeps Rovers at bay
Half time saw Johnny Thomsen replaced by Ragnar Sigurdsson, but it took both teams a while to find their feet again. Bengtsson fired a free kick narrowly wide on 55 minutes, before Santin collided nastily with Thompson’s punching clearance as a cross came in. The Brazilian needed a couple of minutes to regain his composure after the clash.
Delaney was substituted for Johan Absalonsen after the hour mark, and FCK almost scored moments later. Christian Grindheim played a neat one-two with Diouf and shot low from the edge of the box. The ball was goal-bound until Thompson stretched out a long left arm to tip around the woodwork, the PARKEN crowd exasperated.
At the other end Ottesen was the only thing preventing a sure Rovers goal, first blocking a shot before forcing Ronan Finn wide enough to shoot off target. Wiland got down well to meet a Gary Twigg header on 71 minutes, while Morten Nordstrand – replacing Santin – started an attack that almost lead Claudemir to the easiest of tap-ins, were it not for a Hoops boot.
With three minutes remaining Diouf had a volley blocked from close range, and in the next play Absalonsen saw his shot turned away for another corner by the standing leg of a defender.
This pressure came to be the last action of a game with neither side really wanting to go behind, coming into the next leg in a week’s time. Next Tuesday the two sides will meet again in Dublin, with a 1-0 aggregate lead already in the bank for Nilsson’s men.
FC COPENHAGEN: 1 SHAMROCK ROVERS: 0
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Thomsen, Zanka (C), Ottesen, Bengtsson, Claudemir, Grindheim, Bolaños, Delaney, Diouf, Santin.
Shamrock Rovers: Thompson, Sullivan, Stevens, Sives, Oman, Kelly, Finn, McCormack, Dennehy, Rice, Twigg (C).
Goals: Ottesen (4’).
Photo: Torkil Fosdal
