Copenhagen 0 Leicester 0: Claudio Ranieri’s side escape from Denmark with a draw and a point in Champions League clash
Kasper Schmeichel produced a stunning injury-time save to keep a clean sheet
LEICESTER added another point to their Champions League tally at the top of Group G with a goalless draw in Denmark.
Claudio Ranieri’s side lost their 100 percent record by settling for a point but they remain three points clear at the summit.
It was never going to be easy for the Foxes away from home against Denmark’s strongest side.
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Since defeat at the King Power, Copenhagen have won three successive games and are six points clear at the top of the Danish league and were unbeaten in 28 matches at home.
The visitors also travelled without record signing Islam Slimani and Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Ahmed Musa struggled in his absence.
Kasper Schmeichel produced a wonder save in the final seconds to ensure his side kept another clean sheet.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- Leicester weren’t the only famous visitors to these parts this week. As they approached Copenhagen airport on Tuesday, Ranieri’s squad passed over Malmo’s Swedbank Stadium, where Pope Francis was holding Mass, a 20 minute train-ride from Copenhagen.
- No club has ever gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without conceding a goal but the Foxes are making a genuine go of it this season.
- Copenhagen hoped history would repeat itself exactly 10 years and one day after Stale Solbakken’s men beat Manchester United 1-0 at The Parken – the Dane’s greatest ever Champions’ League night.
- German ref Felix Brych is one of the best in the business. However his reputation took a battering in the 2014 Europa League final penalty shoot-out when Sevilla goalie Beto advanced yards off his line to save two Benfica spot kicks – something Kasper Schmeichel would have been aware of.
- The Telia Parken Stadium is atmospheric and ultra-modern but it was still weird to see six floors of office space behind one goal. Naturally there were a lot of workers doing overtime, with their noses pressed against the window!
- Claudio Ranieri lived up to his Tinkerman nickname by surprisingly leaving out Danny Simpson, Marc Albrighton and in-form Shinji Okazaki. That opened the door for Jeff Schlupp, Luis Hernandez and former Copenhagen midfielder Daniel Amartey to step in.
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- Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian was one of the 3,400 Foxes fans who had travelled to Copenhagen - despite claiming he had left his tickets on the kitchen table. Bet he found a way around that little problem!
- The Copenhagen fans put on an impressive display with blue and white flags and huge banner. But significantly there was none of the pyrotechnics and flares which copped them a UEFA fine when they let them off at the King Power. Lesson learned.
- Leicester looked a little nervy and unsure of themselves during a pretty disjointed first half. Fortunately for them Copenhagen’s final ball has let them down time and time again.
- If you believe in stats Leicester were always going to make the knockout stages anyway. In each of the previous 64 occasions when a club has won their opening three Champions League group stage games, they have ALWAYS gone through.
BIG PICTURE
SOCIAL SAYS
DREAM TEAM
LEICESTER: Schmeichel 7, Fuchs 7, Huth 7, Morgan 6, Hernandez 6, Mahrez 6, Amartey 6, Drinkwater 6, Schlupp 6, Vardy 6, Musa 6
SUBS: Okazaki 5
BOOKED: Drinkwater, Hernandez, Morgan, Huth
STAR MAN: Zanka (Copenhagen)
Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri said: "It's a good point against a good team away from home, so I'm satisfied.
"Copenhagen started well, which we were waiting for. We changed to 4-4-2 second half and were better.
"They wanted to make a lot of crosses that we did well to stop. Kasper Schmeichel made a big save at the end."