2007/08 UEFA Cup: Copenhagen vs. Lens

Thursday, Danish football champions FC Copenhagen upset France's 5th place finishers RC Lens, beating them 2-1 on home turf after extra time. Lens started the scoring in the 14th minute, when Eric Carrière put Lens one up. Marcus Allbäck struck back in the 76th minute, closing the gap. At 90 minutes, the game was tied at 1-1, and with an aggregate score of 2-2, with one away goal a piece, the game went to extra time. Five minutes into the first extra time-period, Michael Gravgaard was sent off following a professional free kick on Aruna Dindane. But even one man down, Copenhagen fought their way to a penalty kick as Czech national Libor Sionko was fouled in the penalty area with just 8 minutes to play. Jesper Grønkjær scored the match-winner, converting the 12-yarder.

The club of the Danish capital is through to the group phase of the 2007-08 UEFA Cup, clinching at least another five matches in the tournament.

Other Danish clubs in the draw: AaB Aalborg held Italian U.C. Sampdoria to 0-0, qualifying for the group phase as well, after 2-2 in Italy, on the away goals rule. Meanwhile OB Odense was beaten 4-3 on penalties by Sparta Prague after neither team being able to break the deadlock for the 210 minutes of the two ties including extra time in the second leg, and FC Midtjylland failed to overturn their 1-3 deficit in Russia against Lokomotiv Moscow, losing 0-2, making it a 1-5 aggregate defeat.