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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

FC Copenhagen vs Barcelona. UEFA Champions League Group D.

ParkenAttendance30,000.

FC Copenhagen 1

  • Claudemir (33rd minute)

Barcelona 1

  • L Messi (31st minute)

Available to watch on the red button

Copenhagen close on last 16

Image: Messi: Has seven goals in his last four games

FC Copenhagen are on the cusp of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League after drawing with Barcelona.

Last 16 in sight for Danish outfit after sharing spoils at Parken

FC Copenhagen are on the cusp of reaching the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history after claiming a 1-1 draw with Barcelona. The Danish champions produced a stellar performance against one of Europe's aristocracy to move within touching distance of a place in the competition's knock-out stages. Lionel Messi gave 2009 winners Barca the lead in the 31st minute with his fifth goal of the European campaign but Copenhagen midfielder Claudemir volleyed the equaliser two minutes later. The result means the plucky Danes remain four points clear of third-placed Rubin Kazan with two games to play while Pep Guardiola's side stay top of the Group D pile. Unlike group rivals Rubin and Panathinaikos, who played out a dour 0-0 earlier on Tuesday, it took just three minutes for this game to catch light as Claudemir saw his shot skim off the bar after the midfielder let fly from 35 yards.

Rotten

It was anything but rotten in Denmark as the fast and furious pace to the contest continued and both sets of players were guilty of robust challenges that included an incident where Carlos Puyol had to receive rare treatment from a flailing Christian Bolanos arm. Victor Valdes can count himself lucky to have escaped a red card for his 11th minute challenge on Dame N'Doye as his knee in the striker's face would not go amiss in a UFC match. Bizarrely the officials awarded a free-kick to Barcelona. David Villa was Barca's stand-out player in the opening quarter and after beating the offside trap in the 22nd minute, the Spain striker's first-time snap-shot smashed off the post following a fine fingertip save from Copenhagen's Johan Wiland. Sergio Busquets had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring for the travelling Spaniards in the 28th minute as he found himself unmarked in the penalty area from a Xavi free-kick. But the defensive midfielder showed why he rarely gets on the score-sheet as he fired straight at Wiland. But Barca had the right man in the shooting position three minutes later as Messi broke the deadlock.
Rare
A long ball from Busquets found the clever forward run of Seydou Keita who headed it into the path of Villa. The striker was unable to bring the ball under control, but there was Messi to pounce has he poked the visitors ahead with a rare right-foot finish for his 12th goal of the season in all competitions. Barca's lead lasted less than two minutes however as Copenhagen bounced back thanks to an error by the man in goal for the Spaniards. Jesper Gronkjaer's cross was not properly dealt with by Valdes, who flapped the ball straight into Claudemir's vicinity and the Brazilian's first-time volley clipped the post before going in. Both teams refused to hold back and Copenhagen full-back Oscar Wendt wasted the chance to put it on a plate for Gronkjaer by going it alone from a tight angle. Messi was again in the thick of the action as he brought another smart stop from Wiland via a powerful header before Iniesta grazed the post just before the interval with a first-time shot.
Engulfed
Copenhagen came out of the traps for the second half with the same intent as they approached the first period but Zdenek Pospech's speculative effort was as close as they came to scoring in their good spell. Barca soon engulfed the possession stats, and Keita almost restored the visitors' lead as he blasted narrowly wide just after the hour mark after a dose of high-quality passing by the Catalan club. Copenhagen carved out their first serious chance of the second period in the 70th minute but Bolanos snatched at his effort to the dismay of the partisan crowd. N'Doye had the ball in the back of the net with a stunning header but the Senegalese front-man could only smile as referee Cristian Balaj spotted his push on Eric Abidal. And the Romanian official was in the right place 60 seconds later as Villa went down in the box after Mikael Antonsson's burly challenge. Copenhagen were still looking for the win but failed to muster another meaningful chance and boss Stale Solbakken elected to shut up shop in injury-time as Martin Vingaard left the field to a standing ovation. But it was nearly heartbreak for the hosts and Pedro came a whisker from snatching the spoils as his rasping right-foot rocket crashed against the post before Wiland gratefully gathered moments before the final whistle sounded.
FC København Team Statistics Barcelona
1 Goals 1
1 1st Half Goals 1
3 Shots on Target 6
6 Shots off Target 6
2 Blocked Shots 6
5 Corners 4
9 Fouls 10
2 Offsides 3
1 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
76.2 Passing Success 89.2
28 Tackles 10
85.7 Tackles Success 80
33.1 Possession 66.9
48.9 Territorial Advantage 51.1

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