Title race heats up with Nordsjælland loss

03/05 2012 09:23

The Danish Superliga’s top two clubs faced each other in Farum on Wednesday evening, with FC Copenhagen looking to stave off title challengers FC Nordsjælland. Head coach Carsten V. Jensen made just one change to his starting XI that claimed a 3-0 win against AaB on Sunday: Thomas Kristensen replacing Christian Grindheim in the centre of midfield.

by Joe Short

A Farum Park record of 9,943 spectators watched the top-of-the-table clash, and from the off it promised to be a tight affair. FCN offered the first chance going forward, full-back Patrick Mtiliga crossing for Nikolaj Stokholm, but the striker’s effort flew high over the crossbar.

It took 21 minutes for Copenhagen to muster their first effort on goal. Pierre Bengtsson and Bryan Oviedo worked well down the left flank to eventually move the former into space. Bengtsson took his chance early, but only found Jesper Hansen between the sticks.

Shortly after Ragnar Sigurdsson got on the end of a long Claudemir throw-in, but the Icelander’s header flashed across goal and away. Five minutes later and Bengtsson was again bearing down on goal, this time after a neat one-two with César Santin that left the left-back free inside the box, but his right-footed shot was well palmed away by Hansen.

Nordsjælland take the lead

In the 33^rd minute Kristensen had to come off for Grindheim due to injury, and five minutes later Bengtsson – on the overlap of Oviedo – crossed in to trouble Hansen; the ball fell to Santin, but the striker fluffed his golden chance.

Although efforts on goal had been rare for Nordsjælland in the first half, they soon found their feet in the second, and on 54 minutes took the decisive lead. Mikkel Beckmann received the ball on the right side, dribbled towards the centre before exchanging a quick one-two with Stockholm. The pair linked well to pull FCK’s defence out of position, the ball eventually coming back to Beckmann who curled a shot beautifully around Johan Wiland for 1-0.

While Oviedo and Bengtsson were predominant in the first half, it was Lars Jacobsen and Christian Bolaños who came good in the second. 12 minutes after the goal, Jacobsen stormed up the pitch, out-muscled Mtiliga before dragging back to Bolaños on the edge of the box. The Costa Rican went for precision, attempting to curl his effort into the far corner, but only finding the terrace behind.

Santin misses from three yards

FCK’s biggest chance fell moments later however, when a flicked-on Bolaños corner found its way to Santin at the far post. The Brazilian was unmarked and free to tap into the empty net, but the ball hit his stomach and agonisingly tricked out the wrong side of the post. At the other end, FCN’s Søren Christensen forced Wiland into a magnificent save to prevent the home side doubling their lead, while Copenhagen peppered their opponents’ box in the dying minutes but to no avail.

Victory for Nordsjælland narrows the gap at the top of the Superliga to three points now, with just four league games to go for both sides. FCK’s next match is against tenth-place OB at home this Sunday.

FC NORDSJÆLLAND: 1 FC COPENHAGEN: 0

FC Nordsjælland: Hansen, Kildentoft, Okore, Parkhurst, Mtiliga, Lorentzen, Adu, Christensen, Stokholm, Mikkelsen, Beckmann.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland(C), Jacobsen, Stadsgaard, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Kristensen, Claudemir, Bolaños, Oviedo, Santin, N’Doye.

Goals: Backmann, FC Nordsjælland (54’).

Referee: Michael Tykgaard.