UEFA Champions League
Copenhagen 2 – 2 Bayer Leverkusen FT
Bayer Leverkusen snatched a point in their Champions League opener thanks to an own goal from Copenhagen’s Pantelis Hatzidiakos in the 91st minute after a thrilling finish.
It came after the hosts thought they had won the match when substitute Robert Silva restored Copenhagen’s lead in the 86th minute with a diving header when unmarked six yards out.
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The home side struck first and took a ninth-minute lead when Jordan Larsson – son of former Celtic and Barcelona striker Henrik – did well with a controlled half-volley following Elias Achouri’s cross.
Leverkusen’s side included former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken and ex-Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, and they made it 1-1 in the 82nd minute through Alex Grimaldo’s superb 25-yard free-kick, which curled over the wall into the top corner.
Leverkusen show fighting spirit to earn point
Bayer Leverkusen reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season before losing 5-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich [Getty Images]
For Leverkusen, it continues a mixed start to the season with manager Kasper Hjulmand now having one win and one draw from his two games in charge.
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He was appointed this month after the German side sacked former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after only two Bundesliga matches in the beginning of September.
Ten Hag was replaced by Hjulmand, who managed Denmark from 2020 to 2024, with his best tournament record coming when his country reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2021 when they lost to England at Wembley.
Leverkusen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 in Hjulmand’s opening game but they could not repeat that against the Danes, though he will be delighted with his side’s fighting spirit as they twice recovered from going a goal behind.
Copenhagen have gone out of European competition against English clubs the past two years. They lost 6-2 to Manchester City on aggregate in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2023-24, and were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea in the same phase of the Conference League last season.
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In their next Champions League group match Copenhagen play in Azerbaijan against Qarabag on 1 October, with Leverkusen at home to PSV Eindhoven on the same night.
