Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average, don’t follow up
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 14/10/1998
- Current Club: FC Copenhagen
- Career: FC Nordsjælland, FC Copenhagen
- Position: Centre-half
- Secondary Position: Defensive midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Nelsson is a player with huge potential and was a real leader at the back despite his young age. The Dane’s standout trait is his ability to be in the right position at all times, reading the play exceptionally well and knowing when to step up or drop back. His awareness of the strikers movements made it very hard for the opposition attackers to get involved in the game and he made a number of important interceptions.
He is not the tallest at just under 6’1 but has good physical qualities, defending well both 1v1 and aerially and rarely losing a defensive duel. He was very comfortable collecting the ball from the goalkeeper and playing accurate progressive passes into the midfield but had mixed success with his longer diagonals. His technical ability also allowed him to travel with the ball into the midfield areas and bypass the initial press.
His calmness on and off the ball set the tone for the rest of the team and his mature style of play suggests a player well beyond his years.
Rating: A1
I expect to see Nelsson make the step up to a top five league soon, performances like this on the European stage suggest his is ready now. His tactical and technical qualities would be a great addition to a top half Premier League or Bundesliga side.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 7/1/2002
- Current Club: FC Copenhagen
- Career: FC Copenhagen
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Daramy was exciting when in possession, playing in a front two but often dropping back to receive the ball between the lines. He was then able to drive into the offensive third at speed, using his pace and dribbling ability to cause problems for the defence. He showed good intelligence to recognise the need to play slightly deeper than his strike partner and his direct style provided FC Copenhagen with their best option for building attacks.
He did not get a clear sight of goal but snatched at a couple of half-chances that came his way. The game suffered from a general lack of passing quality which meant that Copenhagen struggled to gain any attacking momentum and Daramy could not impact the game in the danger zones.
He chased every ball down and showed a good attitude but was over-exuberant at times, giving away some needless fouls to add to the stop-start nature of the game. His absence was noticed as FC Copenhagen struggled to create much offensively after he was substituted midway through the second half.
Rating: A1
Overall, a good display from a very promising player. Needs to continue playing first-team football but easy to see why he has been linked with so many top clubs.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Spanish
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 5/9/1996
- Current Club: FC Copenhagen
- Career: Constància, Rayo Vallecano B, Llosetense, RCD Mallorca B, Almudévar (L), Real Zaragoza, FC Copenhagen
- Position: Right Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Biel was effective in the first half when cutting inside from the right side onto his left foot but faded in the second half as FC Copenhagen struggled to retain possession. He is very small at 5’6″ but his diminutive stature gave him good close control and he showed some neat footwork when under pressure.
The Spaniard’s passing was accomplished as he looked for creative ways to get the ball into the strikers but his impact diminished and he struggled with his final ball as he began to be marked out of the game. He performed well out of possession with FC Copenhagen defending using two banks of four, tracking his runners and providing extra support to the full backs.
Rating: B1
Biel looked the player most likely to create an opening for FC Copenhagen in the first half but was not able to show his quality in the later stages. Needs to be involved throughout to take his game to the next level.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Danish
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 8/10/1996
- Current Club: FC Copenhagen
- Career: AGF Aarhus, FC Copenhagen
- Position: Central Midfield
- Secondary Position: Defensive Midfield / Right Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Stage, started on the left side of the midfield and was never allowed to get too involved in play, being fouled on multiple occasions and seeing the majority of the attacks come down the Copenhagen right. He is not a natural winger as he lacks pace and dribbling ability but he is strong and covered a lot of ground. Like Biel, he worked hard defensively and was successful in the majority of his duels.
The Dane was tidy in possession, he kept it simple with short passes into his teammates feet and did not misplace many. He used his body well to make space when receiving the ball and often outsmarted his marker, leading to repeated fouls and free-kicks won. He picked up some good positions to find space at the back-post as the ball came into the box and his headers back across caused trouble on a couple of occasions.
Rating: B2
Overall, Stage put in a good shift and showed enough quality to suggest that his game is better suited to central midfield, would like to watch him in his preferred role.