Neestrup: Glad of 2-0 result against organised Drita
Jacob Neestrup says Tuesday's 2-0 win over FC Drita in UEFA Champions League qualifying was just reward for the hard work of his F.C. Copenhagen player.
Magnus Mattsson scored two second-half penalties to secure victory in the first leg of the second qualifying round.
Reflecting on the game, Neestrup says: “As expected, Drita were difficult to break down, so it required a lot of patience, and overall I am happy that we won 2-0.
“I think we started really well in the first half, whereas the first 10 minutes of the second half were less good, but we got better and better as the half progressed and ended really well.
“As I said, we were prepared for them to play the way they do, and we have also seen that in their matches against teams that are either a little worse, on the same level, or a little better than us. They have a strong defence, and therefore it is a balance between being patient but also setting the pace of the game, and we did not always succeed in that.
“They teased us with their deep and long play, where they got a lot of corners and throw-ins, which helped break the rhythm of the game. So there were things we could have done better, but we won 2-0 and have a reasonable starting point before we go there in a week.
“The breadth of our squad made a difference again today, and I also told the players after the game that it’s crucial for us to get through the tight schedule of the next few weeks.
“Mattsson of course got the two penalties, and I had no qualms about him taking the kicks straight away after he came on. For example, Moukoko also had a very nice run-in and took another step, but he’s still not ready to play full-time game after game.
"This also applies to Garananga and Clem, for example, who came into the team at short notice when Hatzidiakos became unwell, and Delaney left with problems after the warm-up."
Next up for FCK is a home tie with VB on Saturday (6pm) before the Lions head to Drita for the reverse fixture of their Champions League qualifier.