Plzen take 3-1 advantage

17/08 2011 09:42

PARKEN was as loud as any European night as Copenhagen began their attempt at UEFA Champions League qualification against FC Viktoria Plzen. Head coach Roland Nilsson made two changes to his starting XI, bringing in Thomas Kristensen to the centre of midfield and pushing Claudemir up front.

by Joe Short

Copenhagen started positively, controlling the run of the game and on five minutes Dame N’Doye tested his range with a shot from way out, but only found the advertising boards. Plzen had the first major chance of the tie when a mistake from Pierre Bengtsson let Milan Petr?elain in on goal, but Johan Wiland surged out to avert the danger.

N’Doye soon fired a free kick into Marek ?ech’s hands, before Christian Bolaños came close on 20 minutes. The winger cut inside from the right to send a left-footed effort just wide of Cech’s far post.

FCK had a great opportunity to open the scoring in the 35th minute when N’Doye rose to meet a cross from the wing, but his header came off a defender and ballooned to safety. Claudemir then steadied himself on the edge of the area to deliver a neat left-footed volley towards goal, the ball rattling off the stanchion behind the net, half of PARKEN unknowingly already celebrating.

Own goal gives Czech’s lead

Just before half time N’Doye saw another headed attempt cleared off the body of a defender: while Kristensen shot high over the crossbar. At half time FCK looked the more threatening and would have been the happier of the two sides going into the break.

The restart, however, came with an immediate shock. After N’Doye headed into the ground only to witness Cech scramble across his goal to save on 47 minutes, Plzen came forward and took the lead. A long ball over the top of FCK’s defence let Daniel Kolá? through, and as Sölvi Ottesen vied for the ball, the Icelandic defender knocked it past Wiland. Ottesen leaped to save the inevitable but it was not to be; the Czech’s scoring a valuable away goal.

Copenhagen looked to retaliate straight away, but before they could mount a proper attack they found themselves 2-0 down. Václav Pila? picked up a loose ball on the edge of Wiland’s box to slide home the second in clinical fashion, stunning PARKEN.

Icelander offers hope

The Lions refused to give up however, and on the hour mark substitute Morten Nordstrand was the unluckiest man in the stadium as his goal-bound header came off the face of Cech and away from goal. Seven minutes later and a skewered overhead kick from N’Doye bounced kindly for substitute Johan Absalonsen. His header bobbled towards the far corner and looked like it would creep in before Cech got a glove to it to quell another FCK attempt.

Ottesen made amends for his earlier error, however, on 69 minutes when his did what he does best. Bengtsson whipped in a corner from the right for Ottesen to meet – unmarked – and glace in a header reminiscent of his goal against Rosenborg BK last season.

The fight-back short lived

At 1-2 Copenhagen had their tails up. The passing was crisp and the pace fast. Nordstrand got on to a Christian Bolaños low cross but Marián ?i?ovsk? slid in to clear a sure goal on 76 minutes. However, while the Lions continued to push forward, the sting of Plzen’s attack hit them hard. Martin Fillo picked up a wonderful long ball on the Plzen right wing, cut back inside onto his left foot and fired a curling effort over Wiland and into the top corner of the net.

The 1-3 scoreline stunned PARKEN. The players refused to lie down however, and over the final ten minutes peppered Cech’s box with crosses, shots and free kicks. Bolaños hit a wall with a direct free kick was the closest the team came to clawing a goal back however, as Plzen emerged 3-1 victors.

A well-deserved win for the Czech side who showed resilience and clinical finishing. Plzen now take their lead back to Prague where Copenhagen must find three goals next week. Even though the tie may seem out of reach, rest assured the Lions will give their all to reclaim their place back among Europe’s elite. As FCK fans will know after victories against Rosenborg and Rubin Kazan last season, the game isn’t over until that final whistle blows.

FC COPENHAGEN: 1 FC VIKTORIA PLZEN: 3

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Thomsen, Zanka (C), Ottesen, Bengtsson, Kristensen, Grindheim, Bolaños, Diouf, Claudemir, N’Doye.

FC Viktoria Plzen: Cech, Duris, Pilar, Trapp, Limbersky, Horvath, Petezela, Bystron, Kolar, Rajtoral, Cisovsky.

Goals: Ottesen, Viktoria Plzen (o.g. 52’), Pilar, Viktoria Plzen (59’), Ottesen (69’), Fillo, Viktoria Plzen (79’).

Referee: Martin Atkinson.