Danes too great as TNS face huge task

TNS ...................................... 0 FC COPENHAGEN ............ 2

THE Welsh champions left themselves with a mountain to climb in the Danish capital next week after going down to a two-goal defeat in the opening leg of their second qualifying round clash in the Champions League.

FC Copenhagen scored in each half as they dominated almost from start to finish and they will head into the return match as firm favourites to bag a third qualifying round match against either Red Star Belgrade or HJK Helsinki. The losers will enter the Europa League.

Defending an unbeaten record at Park Hall that stretched back to the second qualifying round of the Champions League last summer, when they lost to another Danish side, FC Midtjylland, the Welsh champions almost got off to the dream start.

An inch-perfect throughball from Aeron Edwards found Ryan Brobbell free in the box, but he shot well over.

TNS looked calm and assured in the opening exchanges, but once former Wolves manager Ståle Solbakken’s side found their feet they forced the home team back as they confidently stroked the ball around the pitch.

It was a whipped in corner from the left by Carlo Holse that almost led to a goal at the far post for defender Victor Nelsson after 15 minutes and they took the lead three minutes later.

A low cross from the right wing by Croatian international Karlo Bartolec was met at the near post by Cypriot striker Pieros Sotiriou, who just got his right foot to the ball ahead of home defender Keston Davies to prod the ball past Paul Harrison.

If Copenhagen thought the floodgates were going to open after that they were mistaken. TNS defended superbly and even found time to create space for shots on goal later in the half from Dan Redmond and Adrian Cieslewicz that went wide.

The 13-times Danish champions lost their chief playmaker Rasmus Falk in midfield after 34 minutes, when he limped off with a hip injury, but they had international quality throughout their side.

Having beaten Kosovan champions Feronikeli in the first round, TNS kept it tight after the break until Davies lunged at Sotiriou six yards out from goal. Even though the Cypriot international had missed the target with his shot, the referee deemed it a foul and pointed to the penalty spot after showing Davies a yellow card.

Up stepped Robert Skov and his left footed drive into the right corner was too much for Harrison just after the hour mark.