Lions beat Horsens 2-0 in Parken

Goals from Felix Beijmo and Viktor Bjarki Dadason earned F.C. Copenhagen a 2-0 win over Horsens on Friday evening in Parken Stadium – and head coach Bo Svensson was pleased with the result.

"I am, of course, happy with the win and the fact that we kept another clean sheet, but the performance was below par – except for the first ten minutes," said Svensson afterwards.

"We started well with high tempo and good energy, and we took the lead during that phase of the match, but our level dropped for the rest of the game. Still, we managed to win regardless, and that is important on a day when things aren't quite clicking.

"We became too slow in our thoughts and actions, and played as if the handbrake was on. Play became too static, and it was as if we were trying to get the job done at 90% effort. Naturally, I’m not satisfied with that, and the players know it too.

"I can't quite put my finger on the reason, and we shouldn't over-dramatise it either, but several players looked a bit tired. We’ve relied heavily on players like Elyounoussi and Robert, and when Robert felt something in his groin at halftime, we decided not to take any risks.

"On the other hand, it was great to see Dadason take another step forward tonight. He’s still only 18 and has been out with an injury for three months, but I think he was our best attacking player tonight. He looked fresher and more mobile, and he scored a good goal, too. I think that was important for him, because a goal always means a lot for a number 9's confidence."

The win keeps FCK top of the Danish Superliga as attention now turns to Tuesday's Danish Cup game against Skovshoved.

"There haven't been many normal training days in recent weeks, but there are still two matches to be played (before the international break)," added Svensson.

"Obviously, we can feel the impact of not having players like López, Delaney, Mads Emil, and Cornelius available right now – since they are all potential starters – but we probably shouldn't expect to see any of them on Tuesday; instead, we'll have to look ahead to next Sunday."

Starting XI: Ramaj - Beijmo, Sørensen, Markgráf, Meling - Král, Clem - Maseko, Elyounoussi (anf.), Robert - Dadason

Final XI: Ramaj - Král, Beijmo (anf.), Sørensen, Markgráf, Suzuki - Nasnas, Clem - Carrizo, Ndjee, Németh

Carlsberg Man of the Match
Felix Beijmo was named by fans as the Carlsberg Man of the Match.