FCK lost the Europa League quarter-final 0-1 to Manchester United after extra time in Cologne.
FC Copenhagen’s historically long 2019/20 season is over.
Monday night, the Danish big club smoked out of the Europa League after a 0-1 defeat to Manchester United after extended playing time in the quarterfinals in Cologne.
Bruno Fernandes settled the 120-minute long and relatively equal showdown with a penalty kick in extra time.
FCK players can now go on summer vacation after a season that lasted 13 months due to coronavirus. The showdown against Manchester United was the Copenhageners’ significant match number 56 in that period.
Despite the defeat, the FCKs can go home with a straight forehead after making an honorable effort in the first European quarterfinals with Danish participation for 23 years.
In order to have a chance at all against the resurrected football giant, Ståle Solbakken had announced that FCK should both work hard, but also dare to be offensive. It was the FCK ‘s all the way to the bitter end, even though the forces let up in the unbearable evening heat in Cologne.
On the other hand, the sharpness that Solbakken had also emphasized was a necessity for making a smaller football miracle.
18-year-old Mohamed Daramy had two crackers in the first half on good deals, and in the second half Bryan Oviedo had a big offer for FCK , but his finish was blocked.
Incidentally, Oviedo’s offer came after formidable preparation from a bubbly Rasmus Falk, who succeeded with a “Fernando Redondo dribbling” in United’s field.
United were not bubbling in regular playing time
Only in short periods of regular playing time did the Englishman demonstrate the expected level difference between the teams, while it was more visible in the extended playing time.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s star-studded team with players such as Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood also had periods of wasted play and strange decisions along the way.
That the match ended up going all the way to extra time was due to the fact that the centimeters were against Manchester United, and that Karl-Johan Johnsson once again had a terrific match in the FCK cage.
The English sent two shots on the inside of the post twice in regular time and in addition had two goals canceled out for offside – the first of them just before the break, when the video referee came to the line referee’s rescue.
The only bet for FCK at the break was that injured Nicolai Boilesen had to be replaced with a hamstring injury.
At the beginning of the second half, it was pure survival for FCK , and it was during that period that the visitors tested the woodwork by Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes and had a score canceled.
Since then, the heavy United pressure eased, and Rasmus Falk took over the role of conductor of the match for a while, but it did not throw off goals.
However, the referee was unimpressed, and booked him for diving. 90 minutes into the game, Guillermo Varela seemed a little tentative in their play as their organization fell to passable. Anthony Martial.
In the extended playing time, the FCK bouncer had to dish up big saves again before he was conceded when Manchester United were awarded a penalty kick.
After 94 minutes, a mistake by the home side’s left defense allowed Andreas Bjelland to get through. He outclassed the home side’s keeper, adding another goal for the visitors.
United could and should have closed the match on a sea of chances in the following minutes, but FCK was with until the very last whistle thanks to its Swedish plankwork in the goal.
While the FCK players have to go on summer vacation, either Sevilla or Wolverhampton are waiting for Manchester United in the semi-finals .
/ Ritzau /
