Battling København keep hopes alive with Porto draw
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
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Leicester have won Group G but the battle for second will go to the wire after København resisted a concerted second-half effort to hold Porto and keep both teams in the hunt.
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København and Porto will both go into matchday six with the possibility of reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout stage after it ended honours even in Denmark.
The hosts resisted mounting pressure to keep it at 0-0 and maintain their two-point deficit behind Porto. They must now beat bottom side Club Brugge in Bruges and hope unbeaten Group G winners Leicester do them a favour in Portugal.
København were 32 home games unbeaten going into this contest, and knew a win would make them masters of their last-16 destiny on matchday six. Their chances were raised during a positive first half, even if Iker Casillas was never unduly stretched, but as the second period wore on it was increasingly backs-to-the-walls stuff from the Parken club.
Robin Olsen twice denied André Silva before the hour mark, a sign of things to come in the closing exchanges. Yet it always remained a series of attacks rather than an out-and-out siege – and FCK stood firm to make sure it's everything to play for in a fortnight's time. Whoever misses out is guaranteed a UEFA Europa League berth.
Key player: Thomas Delaney
For his final UEFA Champions League outing at Parken, Delaney had promised to keep his emotions in check until the final whistle – and the FCK captain, who leaves for Bremen in January, was as good as his word. An effective presence at both ends of the pitch, Delaney's display embodied his 'lead by example' ethos.
København carry a threat
Without their first-choice strikers, it was always likely to be a trying night for the hosts. At times it was; at others, notably the closing phase of the first half, they looked comfortable – indeed dangerous – playing an unfamiliar style. They may need to work on it, but it augurs well nonetheless as Ståle Solbakken now knows he has options.
Reporter's view
Ian Holyman (@UEFAcomIanH)
FCK said from the start they were competing for third place with Club Brugge, and that position is where they find themselves with 90 minutes of the group stage remaining. They must win in Belgium and hope Leicester can help them out in Porto. But, as Solbakken said, "a draw is never a bad result against Porto." Tonight it certainly wasn't.