FCK suffer first loss of season
06/03 2011 23:02
Ståle Solbakken and his squad travelled to Herning for the first Superliga match of the spring season, hoping to continue the run of form that secured top spot in the league before the winter break.
by Joe Short Injury forced Oscar Wendt to sit out of the game, so Pierre Bengtsson came in as his replacement, in the only change from Copenhagen’s UEFA Champions League game against Chelsea last month. The match started slowly – respectable considering the three-month lay off for both sides – and with FCK pressing it was Midtjylland who looked most dangerous on the counter attack. Johan Wiland had to scoop the ball away from goal direct from a corner on 13 minutes, while Dame N’Doye’s header at the other end was calmly cleared off the line by Kristian Nielsen. In the 24th minute only a last-second tackle from Mathias Zanka prevented Sylvester Igboun from tapping in from a low cross. Soon after, Zdenek Pospech found room in the Midtjylland penalty area to head a Jesper Grønkjær cross at goal. Jonas Lössl got down well to collect however. Midtjylland defence holds firm
With Copenhagen gradually moving play up the field, FCM were forced to concentrate on their defending. The home side were defiant in letting FCK past their back line, and held out until half time with only a William Kvist bobbling volley a threat to their goal.
It took six minutes for the first chance of the second half to materialise: Mads Albæk lashed at a cross to send the ball looping over the bar. Christian Bolaños had a free kick but blasted straight at the wall, and a minute later the FCK wall were called to do the same thing. However, N’Doye raised his arm to block the goal-bound effort, resulting in referee Michael Svendsen immediately awarding a penalty.
Jakob Poulsen stepped up and drove low to Wiland’s right. The goalkeeper was inches away from a hand on the ball, but couldn’t prevent the home side taking a 1-0 lead.
Formation change needed
FC MIDTJYLLAND: 2 FC COPENHAGEN: 0 FC Midtjylland: Lössl (GK), Albrectsen, Bak Nielsen, Sviatchenko, Juelsgård, Uzochukwu, Albæk, Poulsen, Hassan, Thygesen, Igboun. FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Zanka, Antonsson, Bengtsson, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Grønkjær, N'Doye, Santin. Referee: Michael Svendsen Goals: Poulsen (64’), Thygesen (82’).
It took a while for FCK to adjust after the goal, as Solbakken made a double substitution. César Santin and William Kvist came off for Kenneth Zohore and Martin Vingaard, and it was the latter who almost broke through the FCM defence on 71 minutes. Grønkjær picked up a lose ball and slid Vingaard in. However, the winger couldn’t sort his feet out quickly enough, and the danger was soon cleared.
Shortly after, Solbakken threw caution to the wind as he replaced Pierre Bengtsson with Jos Hooiveld. The centre back moved inside with Zanka and Mikael Antonsson, as Pospech pushed up the right wing to help the midfield in their search for an equaliser.
Unfortunately, it never came, as Mikkel Thygesen pounced on a flash Jesper Juelsgård cross from deep to double Midtjylland’s lead. The Lions could only pepper the FCM box with crosses as the clock ticked down, while Igbourn could arguably have made it 3-0, had it not been for some quick Grønkjær defending at the back post.
The loss may come as a shock to some FCK followers, who saw their side win 16 of 19 Superliga games in the autumn. However, all good things must come to an end; and with a sizeable lead still at the top of the division, Lions fans should not be too downhearted by the result.
FC MIDTJYLLAND: 2 FC COPENHAGEN: 0 FC Midtjylland: Lössl (GK), Albrectsen, Bak Nielsen, Sviatchenko, Juelsgård, Uzochukwu, Albæk, Poulsen, Hassan, Thygesen, Igboun. FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Zanka, Antonsson, Bengtsson, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Grønkjær, N'Doye, Santin. Referee: Michael Svendsen Goals: Poulsen (64’), Thygesen (82’).
