Hello, and welcome to
Sports Mole's live coverage of the match in the
Champions League between
Copenhagen and
Leicester City.
Regardless of their status of Premier League champions, it would have taken the most optimistic of Leicester City supporters to predict that they would win their first three matches in the Champions League and be on the brink of qualification for the last 16 but that's where we are at this evening. If the Foxes beat Copenhagen, they will be competing in a two-legged tie against a European giant after Christmas. How long will the fairytale continue?
It doesn't necessarily have to be three points in Denmark for the fairytale to be extended. Leicester are in such a good position that they can afford to draw this evening and require just a point to progress through to the knockout stages. Of course, they are aiming for top spot and whatever happens tonight, the likelihood is that they will not be able to achieve that until towards the end of November at the earliest but let's just settle on the fact that if
Claudio Ranieri's men avoid defeat this evening, it's almost party time at the very least.
Anyway, let's get to the really important stuff as far as tonight is concerned. Who has the tinkerman and
Stale Solbakken selected in their starting lineups?
COPENHAGEN XI: Olsen; Augustinsson, Johansson, Jørgensen, Ankersen; Falk, Delaney, Kvist, Verbič; Cornelius, Santander
COPENHAGEN SUBSTITUTES: Anderson, Hogli, Antonsson, Gregus, Kusk, Pavlovic, Toutouh
LEICESTER CITY XI: Schmeichel, Hernández, Huth, Morgan (c), Fuchs, Drinkwater, Amartey, Musa, Schlupp, Mahrez, Vardy
LEICESTER CITY SUBSTITUTES: King, Albrighton, Simpson, Okazaki, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa
First of all, let's talk about Copenhagen and I'm probably going to tell you the same things as I said two weeks ago. Solbakken has included two players in his team who have experience of English football and they are striker
Andreas Cornelius, who had a disappointing spell with Cardiff City not so long ago, and former Wigan Athletic and Fulham midfielder
William Kvist. They also possess the highly-regarded Thomas Delaney in their ranks, with the Danish international having already signed a deal to link up with Werder Bremen in January.
As for Leicester, Ranieri had already revealed that Islam Slimani would miss the game as he continues to nurse a groin problem so Ahmed Musa is given the nod in attack. The Nigerian had to recover from a knock sustained against Tottenham Hotspur to make this game. Luis Hernandez is preferred to Danny Simpson at right-back while Shinji Okazaki is forced to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench.
This encounter is just one of three which we have for you this evening. Fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are
in action against Bayer Leverkusen at Wembley Stadium while Real Madrid
take on Legia Warsaw in Poland.
HEAD TO HEAD! We are in a position where we can tick off the head to head and reverse fixture in one go! The one and only game to take place between the two teams took place at the King Power Stadium 15 days ago with the Foxes
coming out on top thanks to a goal from
Riyad Mahrez. Take a look back at that game with our match report.
Ranieri has gone on record as saying he thinks
Jamie Vardy will end his goal drought in Denmark this evening. I hope he's right - I have drafted him into my fantasy football side!
It's a risk for both Ranieri, and more importantly myself, to show such backing for the out-of-form England international but after 11 games without a goal for club and country, the run of matches without finding the back of the net has to end somewhere, right? It was slim pickings for Vardy when Copenhagen visited the East Midlands but he will hope to capitalise on any spaces behind the defence if Copenhagen push for the win from the opening whistle.
That said, how is it possible to back anyone to score against a team who are unbeaten in 15 in their domestic league and have conceded just seven goals? That's how dominant Copenhagen have been this year and although they are only six points clear at this stage, it's hard to see anyone stopping them from wrapping up another league title.
The other game in this group sees Porto host Club Brugge. The Portuguese giants had to rely on a late, late goal to beat the Group G minnows when they were on the road but it should be more of a routine win tonight. Leicester and Copenhagen will both be hoping for a favour off Brugge but in reality, Porto will be moving to seven points tonight ahead of their visit to Copenhagen after the international break.
Something that didn't get highlight after the last batch of fixtures is that Leicester have already guaranteed third place in this group, which means they are guaranteed a place in the Europa League at the very least. Ranieri will not be settling for anything less than group winners but it is at least comforting to have the back-up of European football's second-tier competition.
Plenty of Leicester fans are braving the cold in Copenhagen. It is currently only 3C in the Danish capital. Still, I suppose it's an effective way for everyone to acclimatise for the English winter...
PREDICTION! Based on the last game, we shouldn't expect many goals this evening. Copenhagen bossed possession at the King Power Stadium and I'm sure that will be the case in tonight's game. Expect the hosts to make all of the running but we think Leicester have got a goal in them and we are predicting a 1-1 draw.
It's time for the two teams to make their way out onto the pitch at the Parken Stadium. It might be a bit chilly but you can't say that about the atmosphere. We will be underway very shortly.
A bit later than planned, Copenhagen get us underway.
Leicester have barely had a kick in the opening three minutes with Copenhagen bossing possession. That said, it took almost a minute for a corner to be taken as Augustinsson made his way over to the right corner from left-back. Interesting that there was no urgency to keep the tempo up in these early stages.
Leicester finally string a few passes together but the move comes to an end when Musa and Vardy aren't on the same wavelength. However, Copenhagen's attempted break comes to a halt when Santander is ruled offside.
Hernandez is known for his long throws and he causes mayhem in the Copenhagen box with another delivery. However, despite the ball falling to Drinkwater, his long-range effort is deflected wide for a corner, which eventually comes to nothing.
CHANCE! Santander will be disappointed not to have made more of that. A cross from the left finds the striker at the back post but his header back across goal drifts over the bar. Lucky escape for Leicester.
SHOT! Leicester are struggling to get out of their own half because neither of the four attacking players are holding the ball up. Copenhagen soon creating another shooting opportunity but Kvist's long-range drive goes marginally wide of Schmeichel's post.
A slip from Morgan causes trouble for Leicester and Santander takes the chance to run directly at the defence. Unfortunately for Copenhagen, he gets nothing behind his shot and it's an easy save for Schmeichel.
Ranieri is going absolutely berserk on the touchline and I'm not surprised. His team are very much second best and are offering no threat whatsoever. Vardy has touched the ball twice, maybe three times.
BOOKING! More mistakes from Leicester allow Cornelius to go on a rampaging run from the halfway line and it takes a cynical foul from Drinkwater to stop him. This is so poor from Leicester at the moment.
Cornelius is a threat and on the ground - it's a mystery why it never worked out for him at Cardiff. He has just jumped above Huth to meet a corner but he could only divert it away from goal.
BOOKING! What on earth is Huth playing at? He lets the ball run across his body but Santander is lurking and he cynically brings him down before the striker can run through on goal. Fortunately for the German, Morgan was covering or else he would probably have been sent off.
A tweet from yours truly. This sums up my thoughts so far...
We are half-an-hour through this contest and while Ranieri will be raging with his side's performance, he will take something from the fact they are still on level terms. You'd think to think they can't get any worse than this. They need to get their forward players into play.
SHOT! Finally, some ambition from Leicester and it comes through Schlupp. He runs directly at the Copenhagen defence after being giving the space to do so but his shot takes a nick off Vardy and runs tamely through to Olsen.
Incase you were wondering, it is still goalless between Porto and Club Brugge. Both Leicester and Copenhagen would be delighted with that outcome but I'd say it is still pretty long odds, despite less than an hour remaining in Portugual.
UPDATE! Sorry, Club Brugge supporters - I will take the blame for this. Porto have gone ahead at the Estádio do Dragão.
Leicester put together a minutes worth of possession but there's no end product. They are drawing the sting out of the game but they are offering absolutely nothing in the final third. Mahrez, Vardy and Musa have been invisible.
BOOKING! Leicester are certainly piling the cards up. They have all been deserved too. Hernandez blocks a run on the right flank to becomes the third Foxes man to be cautioned.
In fairness to Leicester, they've played some good stuff over the last couple of minutes but shots for both Vardy and Schlupp were blocked. There will be one minute of added-on time.
HALF TIME: Copenhagen 0-0 Leicester City
The half-time whistle goes at the Parken Stadium and we remain goalless, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone because we have not had a significant shot on target. Leicester improved towards the end of the first half but they have been extremely disappointing. Ranieri will be reading the riot act.
The two teams are making their way back out. Surely this second half is going to be better...
We are back underway.
Much better from Leicester but they should have done more with this. A cross from Fuchs is flicked on by Huth but Vardy doesn't react quickly enough and Mahrez is offside at the back post. Still, encouraging signs, I suppose.
Leicester have definitely been told to play at a much higher tempo and they are starting to cause Copenhagen one or two problems. However, the home look a tough nut to break and it may take something special for Leicester to score in this match.
Vardy is probably the smallest man on the pitch but he's just produced a fine defensive header to clear the danger for his team. You will always get a high work-rate from the striker but it's not often he contributes in his own six-yard box.
SHOT! A patient build-up ends with Amartey unleashing an ambitious drive from 35 yards but it is always going wide of the post. That's the kind of chances that Leicester are being reduced to.
Mahrez is having a lot more of the ball and he works an overlap with Drinkwater who drills the ball across the face of goal. However, it's well out of the reach of Vardy, who should have perhaps taken a gamble and got himself in there.
CHANCE! That's Copenhagen's biggest chance of the match. Ankersen finds himself with the opportunity to shoot from around 20 yards out but he can only find the stand. It's poor from the right-back.
The visitors have a threatening spell in the final third but most of the danger is coming through Huth and Morgan. A couple of long throws from Fuchs come to nothing, though.
SUBSTITUTION! It's Solbakken who flinches first as Youssef Toutouh is introduced for Falk.
Leicester were starting to get on top but Copenhagen have started to take control again. Maybe they were saving themselves for a push in the last quarter? Leicester look like they need a change. Okazaki and Albrighton would be favourites.
CHANCE! I said Copenhagen were in control and they should be ahead. A low ball from Toutouh finds Verbic all on his own at the back post but rather than take a touch, he rifles his shot high over the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTION! Ranieri has finally see enough. Schlupp is being withdrawn for Okazaki. I don't think Mahrez is too far away from being substituted either.
Schmeichel's clearances are starting to cause some trouble for the Copenhagen defence and Leicester are able to win a corner off one of them. That's as good as it gets though. Will we get some kind of spark during the closing stages?
SHOT! We've seen too little of this tonight. Vardy outpaces the full-back to advance into the penalty area and he earns a corner off the defender. Again though, the Foxes do nothing with it and after the ball is cleared, Drinkwater shoots over from 25 yards.
BOOKING! All of Leicester's bookings have been deserved - that's until now. Santander dives an the referee buys it, handing Morgan a yellow card.
We are into the final 10 minutes in Copenhagen and we are getting no closer to a goal. Copenhagen look the more threatening but all it takes is one long ball for Leicester to get Vardy interested.
Almost for Leicester! Fuchs dispossesses the defender and flights a ball over to Vardy. His first-time header is intended for Okazaki but just as the Japanese attacker is about to shoot, a defender gets a foot in.
CHANCE! What a save from Schmeichel! Kusk inswinging cross from the right flank found Cornelius and it appeared that his 10-yard header was destined for the bottom corner. However, Schmeichel got across to parry the ball out before Santander blazed the rebound over the crossbar.
FULL TIME: Copenhagen 0-0 Leicester City
The full-time whistle goes in Denmark and Leicester have held on to an important point against Copenhagen. It's a result which doesn't guarantee their progress into the knockout stages but they only require a point against Club Brugge in three weeks time.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this game. Thank you for joining us this evening and we hope to see you again for the Europa League tomorrow night. Goodbye for now.