VfB Stuttgart
FC Kopenhagen
Thomas Delaney
Stats 
Danish fortress impenetrable
In the third game in the group phase of the Europa League, VfB played host to FC Copenhagen. The home side marshalled the proceedings but couldn’t find the al important goal.
Bruno Labbadia was forced to make a change to the side which won so impressively in Hamburg, with Cristian Molinaro coming in at left-back to replace the injured Arthur Boka but that was to prove the only alteration in the starting eleven.
With seven minutes played, the crowd of 15,300 saw the home side create their first opening, as Gotoku Sakai combined with Raphael Holzhauser and Martin Harnik, but the Japanese international’s shot never threatened the keeper.
On the quarter hour mark, Harnik was involved again, playing square for Ibrahima Traoré, whose effort rolled wide of the mark. As the half progressed, chances on goal became something of a rarity, with FC Copenhagen stifling VfB’s attempts at getting forward with some stout defending. The guests had their first sight of goal in the 40th minute, but Lars Jacobsen’s pass to César Santin escaped the attacker and the sides went in at the break locked in stalemate.
VfB head-coach Bruno Labbadia: “We were too docile in the first half, stood off our men and never really got a grip on the game. Post match comments
VfB up the pressure
To begin the second period, Labbadia introduced Tunay Torun in place of Raphael Holzhauser and the Turkish international was immediately involved, going down under the challenge of Copenhagen goalkeeper Johan Wiland, but the referee was unimpressed by the plea for a penalty and showed the VfB man the yellow card for his troubles (48’).
The visitors keeper was involved again minutes later, cutting out a cross from Sakai to deny Vedad Ibisevic. VfB continued to increase the pressure on the visitors but clear chances on goal were few and far between.
In the 78th minute, Tunay Torun again drove towards the opposition goal, but failed to present the visitors keeper with any real worries as his shot proved to central. In spite of all their best efforts, there were to be no goals on the night and in the end, VfB Stuttgart were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in a game which finished 0-0.
