Victory in season opener

F.C. Copenhagen opened the new season with 3 points against Esbjerg fB on Monday night, but it was a game that could have gone either way. Czech International Libor Sionko got the winner 17 minutes before the end, when he received an accurate pass from Oscar Wendt and delicately chipped the ball over the Esbjerg-keeper before slotting it into the empty net.

Due to injuries and suspension Ståle Solbakken had to play with 18 year-old Mathias Zanka Jørgensen and the versatile midfielder William Kvist in central defence, but they performed well, even though Esbjerg produced a handful of good opportunities during the tight and entertaining game.

New signing Thomas Kristensen from FC Nordsjælland made his debut in the starting line-up and played along Hjalte Nørregaard in the central midfield. When he got tired after an hour, Ståle Solbakken gambled by changing the formation from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 by bringing on Jose Junior, but it sooned paid off, as Sionko got the winner shortly afterwards.

On Thursday the Copenhagen squad will be strengthened with Brazilian Cesar Santin from Swedish Allsvenskan-leaders Kalmar FF, who can play both in the attack and on the offensive midfield.

There is bad news though for Jesper Grønkjær, who has been operated in his knee three times during the summer and probably will be sidelined for the rest of the 2008. Midfielder Rasmus Würtz is also out for several weeks.

Matchfacts:
F.C. COPENHAGEN-ESBJERG 1-0 (0-0)
73.: 1-0 Libor Sionko

The team: Jesper Christiansen – Zdenek Pospech, William Kvist, Mathias Zanka Jørgensen, Oscar Wendt – Libor Sionko, Thomas Kristensen (67.: José Junior), Hjalte Nørregaard, Atiba Hutchinson – Ailton Almeida, Morten Nordstrand (80.: Niclas Jensen).

Highlights from the game here.

Match photos here.