Training match win for FCK

Two second-half goals were enough for FC Copenhagen to win their first pre-season friendly with the start of the Superliga just a month away, beating Lyngby BK 2-0. It was Ariel Jacobs’ first game in charge of FCK since the Belgian was appointed manager last week.

by Joe Short

Quite a few players are still on extended leave having battled through a long and hard season, and so Jacobs’ starting XI had a few unfamiliar faces in the ranks. Kim Christensen started in goal with Christian Gamboa at right-back. Youngster Youssuf Toutouh was given a place on the right wing, with Martin Bergvold partnering Claudemir in the centre of midfield.

The home side came close to a goal after just five minutes when César Santin headed a fiercely delivered Pierre Bengtsson cross just past the near post. The game was played out quite evenly for the next 20 minutes or so, both teams happy to get into the rhythm of once again being on a football field. 

On the half-hour mark striker Andreas Cornelius, who aided the U19 side to the league title this season, came close to connecting with a low ball but couldn’t reach it in front of goal. While Lyngby had been commanding at the start of the half, they gradually became more defensive – opting to play on the counter attack.

TK fires Lions into lead

Jacobs made seven changes at the break, bringing on Christian Grindheim and Pape Pate Diouf, Søren Frederiksen and Johan Absalonsen. Also entering the field came Mos Abdellaoue and Icelandic defender Sölvi Ottesen, but the biggest impact came in the form of Thomas Kristensen. The midfielder went straight into the middle of the park, and was there to bury a penalty just three minutes into the half.

Absalonsen had made a lung-busting run to keep a long ball in play on the right wing. Cutting inside he collided with Lyngby goalkeeper Luke Fernandes, and there was no hesitation in the referee pointing to the spot. Kristensen hammered the penalty home in the middle of the goal for 1-0.

Jacobs sees out first FCK win

Copenhagen dominated the majority of the second half, but almost conceded when Kim Aabech headed over the bar from just yards out. Fifteen minutes before full time Rajko Lekic saw an excellent effort from a free kick whistle past the wrong side of the post, while at the other end Frederiksen almost outwitted Fernandes with a flat, bobbling effort that the keeper just got gloves to. 

Shortly before the whistle it was 2-0 when Diouf chipped a delightful cross in from the right wing that fell to the feet of Abdellaoue, who couldn’t miss as he doubled FCK’s lead from close range to give Jacobs a comfortable victory in his first game in charge.

The team now fly to Austria for their training camp, where they will face Russian side Metalist Kharkiv on Tuesday, and Serbian outfit Vojvodina Novi Sad on Friday.

FC COPENHAGEN: 2 LYNGBY BK: 0

FC Copenhagen: Christensen, Gamboa, Ottesen, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Toutouh, Claudemir, Bergvold, Vingaard, Cornelius, Santin.

Referee: Henning Jensen.