It was an FC Helsingør side hungry for its first home points that could welcome FC Midtjylland early Sunday.
A very well-attended Helsingør Stadium could enjoy the fine weather, optimized access conditions, and a very well-playing Helsingør side, which in the first half was by far the better team on the pitch. The match was a very physical contest for long stretches, and already after the first 25 minutes, four yellow cards had been shown, two for each team.
But when it came to the play on the ground, it was the underdogs from Helsingør who succeeded best in setting up the game and getting the passes flowing. André Riel in particular seemed determined to get off the mark in the Alka Superliga, and he had already had two big chances, including one into the side netting, when after 29 minutes he received a perfect pass from Anders Holst and placed the ball past FCM's goalkeeper and into the far corner for a very deserved Helsingør lead.
1-0 FC Helsingør
After that, FCM tried with sporadic attempts at chances, but they had to wait until the 39th minute before, from a corner, they got the ball into the box to the tall Filip Novak, who however headed just wide of the post.
FC Helsingør could therefore go into halftime with a surprising, but deeply deserved 1-0 lead.
At the start of the second half, FCM took the consequences of Helsingør's dominance in the first half of the match, and brought on the two big header specialists Paul Onuachu and Jonas Borring. The Midtjylland side also managed, through sheer physicality, to shift more of the match onto their own terms.
But it was now the home team that came to the first big chances in the second half. An otherwise inspired Anders Holst was unable to celebrate taking the record today for the most matches played for FC Helsingør with a goal. He got on the end of a fairly big chance, but FCM's goalkeeper Jesper Hansen saved the ball and unfortunately there were no Helsingør players ready to follow up on the good opportunity.
Just over an hour in, FC Midtjylland had success with their focus on the more physical side of the game, as Paul Onuachu won a header and laid the ball off to Europe hero Alexander Sørloth. Mikkel Bruhn saved Sørloth's hard shot, but had to concede on the rebound, which Simon Kroon smashed into the net.
1-1 FC Midtjylland
The goal gave Midtjylland blood on the tooth, and they physically pressed the Helsingør players, without it really becoming dangerous, apart from a single chance for Jonas Borring, who hit the side netting.
But all the while André Riel and an industrious Mads Aaquist were lurking for counterattacking opportunities, and after 79 minutes it paid off. Aaquist found Riel with a beautiful cross-field pass that found Riel perfectly on the correct side of the halfway line, and after an exemplary counterattack over half the length of the pitch, Riel calmly placed the ball past FCM's Jesper Hansen, and the roar of celebration shook the newly installed steel stands.
2-1 FC Helsingør
For the remaining quarter of an hour, Helsingør moved the ball around smartly, and the coaching staff made some tactical substitutions, as Ritter, Hegaard and Mark Leth came on so they could better match Midtjylland's aggressive aerial game. In the 89th minute, however, things almost went wrong, as Mikkel Bruhn had to make an impressive double save to keep Midtjylland at bay, but after that it was as if the Midtjylland players had used up their fuel.
FC Helsingør could thus let the sand run out of the hourglass and deservedly receive the acclaim at the final whistle, after a disciplined and very well-played match that gave the first ever home win in Superliga play.
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
