København pull off Moscow coup

FC København picked up their first points of the UEFA Cup group stage with a 1-0 Group B win at FC Lokomotiv Moskva.

Penalty decider 
Morten Nordstrand's second-half penalty was enough for the Danish club to secure victory over their hosts, who were reduced to ten men late on when Emir Spahić was given his marching orders.

Lively opening
Lokomotiv started well and Dmitri Sychev forced goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen into action with a long-range effort on three minutes, before Vladimir Maminov shot over. Marcus Allbäck's 25-metre drive on 15 minutes was the away team's first attempt on goal but Lokomotiv keeper Ivan Pelizzoli saved well.

Spurned chances
Christiansen was called into action again midway through the first half when Branislav Ivanović headed Maminov's free-kick goalwards. Nordstrand could have put København ahead seven minutes before half-time yet he shot straight at Pelizzoli, and then Peter Odemwingie spurned a superb chance to send the Russian side in ahead at the break, nodding over from a great position.

Key moment
The second period began quietly but the game's key moment arrived on 62 minutes when Malkhaz Asatiani fouled Allbäck in the area and Nordstrand converted the penalty. Lokomotiv came back strongly, searching for an equaliser and Spahić missed Lokomotiv's clearest opportunity when he headed Aleksandr Samedov's 84th-minute corner wide.

Marching orders
Spahić was then dismissed two minutes from time for a second bookable offence after he fouled Libor Sionko. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov had another effort from distance saved by Christiansen in added time, but København held out to move off the bottom of the group. The defeat leaves Lokomotiv third in the section with two points from three games.