Ståle: A proud performance against Leicester

Ståle Solbakken expressed his pride in his FC Copenhagen players after the goalless draw with Leicester tonight and refused to rue missed chances to win the game.

FCK had the majority of openings in Telia Parken and were denied a golden opportunity to score a last-minute winner.

Kasper Schmeichel beat away Andreas Cornelius’ downward header - just like he did in the last minute of the reverse fixture in England two weeks ago.

Benjamin Verbic also saw an effort cleared off the line.

But Ståle insisted he was happy with the point.

“I’m very proud of my team,” he said.

“We’ve played 180 mins against Leicester and they’ve created two chances.

“We’ve been perfect defensively. When we dictated I think we were the better team. Also today with the Verbic chance and Cornelius chance.

“But they are difficult to break down. You maybe need a little bit of luck, some match-winning individuality to win it. I’m proud of my team and can’t ask for more.”

Discussing the match, which saw the Lions record 20 attempted shots but only two that his the target, Ståle said: “The first half was perfect in terms of how we kept the ball and moved them around.

“We could have put a few more crosses in and been a little bit more lucky with the last pass.

“Midway through the second half it opened up too much and obviously Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy were more dangerous.

“But in the last 15 minutes we played longer attacks again and we were closer in the dying phase. We more or less predicted how it would be and I’m satisfied with it.

“We can’t put the bar much higher because they are English champions. They are used to playing at a tempo we are not used to.

“All four games in the Champions League we’ve been close to our maximum level.”

The point for Leicester means they need just one draw from their last two games to qualify for the last-16.

The Lions, meanwhile, are two points off second-place Porto.

Copenhagen host Porto in the next round of games, while the Foxes welcome Club Brugge to the King Power Stadium.

And Ståle hopes the English champions can do FCK a favour against Brugge.

“Leicester need to keep going and that’s also an advantage for us in the next round,” he said.

“If we beat Porto we are second in the group and we would have taken that at the start.

“No matter what happened today, if we lost or won, Porto will be in front of us if they beat us.”

Schmeichel’s save off Cornelius was the second time he has denied FCK in a fortnight. Were it not for the Denmark goalkeeper’s heroics Copenhagen would arguably be four points better off in Group G.

“He’s had two good saves in the dying minutes in both games,” Ståle added.

“That’s why he’s standing there and maybe why Leicester are champions of England.”

Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, said he was pleased with the result, which maintains Leicester’s unbeaten Champions League campaign.

“It was a good performance. We expected this kind of performance. At the beginning of the match we expected Copenhagen to push a lot and make a lot of crosses,” Ranieri said.

“We stopped them very well. When I changed (the system) we played better. We stopped them and tried to play our game.

“They’re a good team, very organised. In front of their fans they pushed a lot but we played very well with good personality. I’m very satisfied.”

Discussing Schmeichel, who is yet to concede in the Champions League, Ranieri added: “Kasper made a very good save at the end.

“It was the only save as we stopped them only shooting from long distance. If we would have scored we would have won the match, if they had of scored they would have win the match.”

Copenhagen drew 1-1 with Porto away from home earlier in the campaign and a win in Telia Parken in the next round would see FCK move above the Portuguese champions into second place in Group G.

But Ranieri couldn’t pick a winner of the tie.

“They are two great teams,” he said.

“Copenhagen are well organised and strong, they play well. At every moment they know what they want to do.

“Porto is more fantasy, good quality and good skills. It’s not important for us though.”