Leicester City missed the chance to book an early spot in the Champions League’s knockout stages as they were held to a scoreless draw by FC Copenhagen in Group G on Wednesday.Having won their previous three group games, the Premier League champions stood on the brink of reaching the last 16, but Copenhagen denied them the victory they needed, while improving their own qualification hopes.The Danish side’s only previous loss in 27 competitive games was a 1-0 reverse to Leicester in their Champions League clash two weeks ago, and on several occasions they threatened to take all three points on home turf.
Their best chance came in the 70th minute when Leicester defender Christian Fuchs cleared Benjamin Verbic’s effort off the line as the home side pressed forward while the visitors’ keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a smart save from Andreas Cornelius in the dying minutes.
Riyad Mahrez was once again the most influential creative presence in Claudio Ranieri’s side, but the Foxes had to settle for a draw on a chilly night in Copenhagen.With the top two qualifying for the knockouts and two rounds of group matches remaining, Leicester top the standings with 10 points from four games, while Copenhagen are third on five, two behind Porto, who beat Club Bruges 1-0.
The Danes started well, playing at a high tempo and forcing a succession of free kicks and corners in the first half to keep Leicester on the back foot, but the final delivery into the box was often poor.
Leicester were not much better in attack and with both defences flinging themselves into the path of the ball to block shots, goalkeepers Robin Olsen and Leicester’s Schmeichel, playing his first competitive club game in the city of his birth, had little to deal with.Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater combined to create an excellent chance for Leicester in the 58th minute but there was nobody on hand to steer the ball home as the latter rifled it across the face of goal.Moments later Copenhagen defender Peter Ankersen flashed a shot high over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.The English champions were almost undone again 10 minutes later as Verbic steered the ball goalwards, but Fuchs was on hand to clear the danger.
Leicester continued to soak up pressure and hit their opponents on the break, but it was the Danish champions who almost stole the win late on.Striker Cornelius rose highest to send a downward header into the bottom left corner, but Schmeichel reacted quickly, pushing the ball away smartly to maintain Leicester’s unbeaten record and secure a fourth straight clean sheet in the competition.- Match sheet:0 – Copenhague: Olsen; Augustinsson, Johansson, Jørgensen, Ankersen; Falk (Toutouh, m.65), Delaney, Kvist, Verbic (Kusk, m.83), Cornelius, Santander.0 – Leicester: Schmeichel; Fuchs, Morgan, Huth, Hernandez; Schlupp (Okazaki, m.71), Drinkwater, Amartey, Mahrez; Musa, Vardy.Referee: Felix Brych (GER).Yellow cards: Drinkwater (m.22), Huth (m.24), Hernandez (m.42), Morgan (m.78).Copenhague Parken: Attendance, 34.146.
