FC Copenhagen has secured its place in the Champions League group stage for the seventh time after defeating FC Basel 2-0 in the playoff round. The victory, achieved on Wednesday night, guarantees the club over 200 million kroner, prestige, and a spot in Europe’s most prominent club competition.
The match was tense, particularly in the first half, but FCK improved significantly after halftime. Andreas Cornelius scored the opening goal with a header, and Youssoufa Moukoko added a second goal late in the game to seal the 3-1 aggregate victory.
The draw for the group stage will take place in Monaco on Thursday, where FC Copenhagen will learn the identities of their eight opponents. While the Danish champions were favored by bookmakers before the match, the game itself was closely contested for a considerable period. The pressure of the high-stakes match appeared to affect the home team, leading to some uncharacteristic errors in their build-up play. Basel, well-prepared, looked to capitalize on turnovers.
Despite several promising attacks, Xherdan Shaqiri and his Basel teammates were largely contained by FCK’s defense in the first half. FCK coach Jacob Neestrup included winger Elias Achouri in the starting lineup after a three-week absence. While initially lacking sharpness, Achouri grew into the game, contributing to the team’s improved performance after the break.
Just 48 seconds into the second half, Achouri set up Cornelius for the crucial opening goal. Soon after, Jordan Larsson missed another significant opportunity to extend the lead. Basel’s Shaqiri threatened with a free shot in the box, but Dominik Kotarski made a critical save. Kotarski was again called into action shortly after, making another important stop.
A momentary hush fell over Parken when Magnus Mattsson was forced to leave the field due to a knee injury. William Clem replaced him, reinforcing FCK’s defense in the match’s final stages. Basel pressed, but FCK held firm and secured the victory when Viktor Claesson was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty converted by Youssoufa Moukoko. This win marks FC Copenhagen’s third Champions League appearance in the last four years.