FC Helsingør got off to a fine start and put together a good, high press on the home side. There was, however, a flare-up after four minutes, when Sørloth and the tall Paul Onuachu came into the box, but Adnan Mohammad managed to tackle the big Nigerian at the last moment. FC Helsingør had been warned. But just a couple of minutes later, things still went wrong. FCH were caught high up the pitch, and Midtjylland launched a lightning-fast counterattack. No Helsingør player managed to block Mikkel Duelund's low cross, and Alexander Sørloth could then smash the ball hard into the roof of the net.
1-0 FC Midtjylland
After 13 minutes FCH got their biggest chance so far, when a long cross from TK was flicked on, and Nicolas Mortensen got to the ball first in a crowd of players in the six-yard box and turned it toward goal in a fierce battle with Midtjylland's defenders, but unfortunately goalkeeper Jesper Hansen managed to block the ball away. Still, it was a nicely worked set piece.
FC Helsingør continued with the good pressure in the first half hour, and the lead had made the home side drop back a little. Several times Helsingør swarmed around the Midtjylland box, and several times FCM gave away free kicks around their own area. Returning Anders Holst gave two or three samples of his good crossing foot, but FCM defended well in the box, and Helsingør could not send the ball into the net.
But after 35 minutes FC Helsingør came close again, when another free kick from Anders Holst was cleared out of the box. Patrick Olsen struck, the shot was blocked out again, and it fell right down at the feet of TK, who finished decisively, but his fine shot went just over the crossbar.
After 40 minutes Helsingør came close again, when Adnan Mohammad found Nicolas Mortensen in the box with a perfect pass over 30 meters, but the striker hesitated a fraction too long, and FCM's defenders could block the shot out for a corner.
Midtjylland mainly threatened on the counterattack, and every time they broke forward it looked dangerous. But it was still from a dead ball situation that FCM scored their next goal. The ball was played out of the box, but a long pass found a free Marc Dal Hende on the left side, and although Mikkel Bruhn saved his first shot, the FCH goalkeeper could not get the ball away from the danger area, and from his second shot Dal Hende was able to put the ball in.
2-0 FC Midtjylland.
The goal gave FCM blood in their teeth, and they swarmed around the Helsingør box for the rest of the half, but no more goals were scored, and the teams went to the break after an even half in most respects, except the most important one: the scoreline.
The second half started best for FCM, who came out more hungry than FCH, but nevertheless it was Helsingør who got on the scoreboard first. FCM goalkeeper Jesper Hansen was forced to kick quickly upfield when Helsingør pressed high. The ball flew in a soft arc from TK over to Nicolas Mortensen, who struck the ball absolutely wonderfully before it hit the ground, and the ball soared in a grenade-like arc over Jesper Hansen and into the goal. A clear candidate for goal of the year!
2-1 FC Helsingør
The goal fired up Helsingør, and shortly after Adnan Mohammad outpaced FCM captain Jakob Poulsen on the left wing and cut inside, but his finish went wide of the post. That was followed by a couple of good long-range efforts from Mikkel Basse and Anders Holst, but FCM held firm.
The following 20-25 minutes were something of a stalemate, with plenty of close contests and free kicks, and it was not until the 73 minute that FCM created the next big chance. A good cross found a Midtjylland player in the box, but the header narrowly missed the post. Shortly after, the ball again came into the FC Helsingør box, and fortunately for the visitors the ball was played around instead of being shot at goal, and an otherwise huge chance came to nothing.
In the end the Helsingør coaches took an offensive gamble, first bringing on Osama Akharraz and then Morten Hegaard in attack, and they played a bit more directly. That put pressure on FCM, and the Superliga leaders had to focus on defending against the visitors.
In the dying seconds of normal time, Hegaard laid the ball into Akharraz's feet, but FCM blocked it at the last second. In stoppage time it was Helsingør who came closest to scoring. First Basse hit the post with a header from a corner, and then Akharraz sent a fine cross onto Hegaard's head, but the big centre-back headed wide of goal.
Helsingør therefore had to leave the pitch without points, but they could be very proud of the match, especially in the second half, where they pressed FC Midtjylland all the way back for long periods.
FCH: Bruhn, Holm, Henriksen, Jørgensen, R. Olsen, P. Olsen, Christian “TK” Køhler, Basse, Adnan Mohammad, Holst, Mortensen.
Substituted: Matheus Leiria, Akharraz, Hegaard
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
