Ottesen inspires late Lions comeback

Kenneth Zohore celebrating his 1-0-goal

Photo: Lars Møller, Sportsagency.dk

 
The regular boys were back in the starting line-up on Saturday for the visit of Lyngby BK; nine of the eleven having been rested midweek for the Ekstra Bladet Cup tie against AC Horsens. Mathias Zanka and Kenneth Zohore both kept their places, the former partnering Dame N’Doye up front, while Zanka moved back inside to his regular centre back position.

by Joe Short

Sölvi Ottesen, who made his first start in over a month following a broken arm on Wednesday, was moved to the bench in place of Mikael Antonsson, while Oscar Wendt and Zdenek Pospech filled in the wing backs. Head coach Ståle Solbakken opted for a complete turn around in midfield, reverting back to the central four who started against Silkeborg IF six days ago.
 
Zohore bags first for FCK
It was the midfield four who controlled the opening stages of the game; with any lose balls falling to the home side. However, very little in the way of goalmouth action occurred, as both sides took their time to get into their respective strides. Successive corners for FCK lead to nothing, and yet in the 13th minute the Lions took the lead from the first meaningful chance of the match. Martin Vingaard collected the ball in the Lyngby half and played a searching diagonal pass to the right. His ball was intercepted however, and fell to Zohore who – without taking a touch – curled a wonderful shot into the top right corner of the net.
 
It was the young striker’s first goal for the club, and the PARKEN supporters made sure he knew about it, chanting his name long after the restart. In reply, Lyngby’s Kim Aabech shot wide of Johan Wiland’s right hand post.
 
Following the goal came a prolonged spell of keep-ball, as the sides exchanged possession for periods without creating anything from the pressure. A seemingly innocuous challenge from Oscar Wendt gave away a free kick on the edge of the FCK penalty area on 21 minutes. Aabech stepped up and swung his left-footed effort through the Lions wall and into the bottom corner to make it 1-1, Wiland scrambling across but to no avail.
 
N’Doye so close to making it two
Lyngby were evidently more confident following the equaliser, evidential in Esben Hansen’s 45-yard effort that was far from threatening the FCK goal. In the 27th minute Copenhagen looked to have retaken the lead, after N’Doye got a flick on from Christian Bolaños diagonal cross. However, Rune Pedersen boasted quick reflexes to tip the ball out for a corner, with most of PARKEN half celebrating a goal.
 
Bolaños was dropping in behind the two FCK strikers at every opportunity, yet it was on the wings where the home side looked most threatening. First Zanka headed over from a Wendt corner, before N’Doye saw his headed effort trickle wide from Pospech’s cross. N’Doye had another chance in the 40th minute; his step overs gave him space on the edge of the Lyngby box, but the shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
 
Just before half time, an attacking run by Zanka played Bolaños through on the right wing, but his effort hit Pedersen on the shoulder with N’Doye and Zohore awaiting a cross-box pass. Lyngby had to wait for the second half to retaliate, and almost scored within the opening seconds: Lasse Rise’s shot hit the side netting after the striker worked himself into space on the right wing.
 
Nordstrand pounces on lose ball
The slow start to the first half was replicated in the second, as again both teams failed to generate anything notable from passages of possession. It was ten minutes before Vingaard found an opening, but his shot from long range whistled over the crossbar. Jeppe Brandrup looked threatening just before the hour; bearing down on the FCK defence his eventual effort drilled low into Wiland’s grasp.
 
In the 65th minute Claudemir spread wide to Pospech. The Czech fired a low effort at goal, which was fumbled by Pedersen next to his left hand post. First on the scene was substitute Morten Nordstrand, but his rebound effort was well smothered by Pedersen, who picked up what looked like a painful knock for his travails. Two minutes later, and N’Doye received a booking for a late sliding tackle on a Lyngby defender, which was quickly reciprocated by Zanka.
 
Quick-fire goals create tense finale
The frustration was clear to see, as FCK controlled possession and direction of play, reducing Lyngby to counter attacks. Frequent crosses from both wings failed to reach specific targets, and with ten minutes remaining Solbakken brought on Sölvi Ottesen for William Kvist, immediately sending the Icelander to the front line.
 
Six minutes later and PARKEN was stunned, as Lyngby took the lead. Aabech’s attempted cross was blocked by Wendt, but the left back was helpless to prevent Aabech passing across to Rise on the edge of the FCK area. The striker’s right-footed pass towards goal was inch-perfect, and beat Wiland at his near post to make it 2-1 to the away side.
 
The lead lasted just over a minute however, as the Lions maintained the pressure they had been piling on before the goal. Nordstrand’s head met an inswinging corner from the left, beating Pedersen to the ball, which nestled comfortably in the Lyngby net. At 2-2, the home fans sensed a winner, and with four minutes stoppage time, there were undoubtedly opportunities to find one.
 
Ottesen forces home winner
And indeed it came, in the final few seconds of the game. Bolaños, who did not stop running all match, crossed in from the right wing. The ball deflected off the chest of Nordstrand, then the top of a Lyngby head. Sailing over to the back post, who was there but Ottesen: lurking in the shadows to pop up and beat Pedersen to the ball. The defender-come-striker squeezed it into the tightest of gaps at the back post to send PARKEN into raptures, and was left victim to a mass player pile-on next to the goal in celebration.
 
The win was far from comfortable, with Lyngby proving a difficult hurdle to overcome in wake of FCK’s next fixture: where PARKEN welcomes FC Barcelona in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League Group D on Tuesday. The match is a sell-out, and the atmosphere in the stadium should be electric. However, one must not take both eyes off the Danish Superliga, where the F.C. Copenhagen now sit at the top with a 17-point lead, albeit having played one game more than the majority of the league.
 
 
F.C. COPENHAGEN: 3                        LYNGBY BOLDKLUB: 2
 
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Zanka, Antonsson, Wendt, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Vingaard, Zohore, N'Doye.
 
Lyngby BK: Pedersen (GK), Sarr, Møller, Rise, Aabech, Tauber, Bertolt (C), Brandrup, Christiansen, Hamalainen, Hansen.
 
Referee: Thomas Vejlgaard
 
Goals: Zohore (13’), Aabech, Lyngby BK (22’), Rise, Lyngby BK (86’), Nordstrand (87’), Ottesen (91’).
Booked: N’Doye, Zanka, Sarr (LBK), Bertolt (LBK), Henriksen (LBK).