Danish media react to Copenhagen vs Hearts as fans saluted and one star hailed on night home team 'dominated'

Hearts are moving into a do or die Conference League realm after defeat in Denmark on Thursday night.

The Jambos suffered a 2-0 loss against Copenhagen, to leave them on six points after five games in the league phase. Petrocub come to Tynecastle next Thursday and a win is needed for Hearts to give themselves a strong chance of progress out of the revamped UEFA phase.

There were no shots on target by Hearts who held Copenhagen for the first half, but conceded twice in the second, including a controversial penalty. Here is how the Danish media reacted to the game, including a nod to the travelling fans and a Hearts star is name-dropped for praise.

Bold

“18-year-old Amin Chiakha scored and won a penalty as FC Copenhagen dominated Hearts and secured three vital points in the Conference League with a 2-0 win. FC Copenhagen is very, very close to securing one of the goals of the season. Because with Thursday's 2-0 victory over Hearts in the Conference League, Jacob Neestrup and co. can be happy to have eight points before the last round of league play.

“On a cold evening in the Parken, the Copenhagen Lions dominated, but struggled to get the ball into the box in the first half. They succeeded in the second half, with 18-year-old Amin Chiakha securing his starting spot with a goal before also fighting his way to a penalty kick, which a strong-playing Kevin Diks scored with absolute certainty. An excellent run opened up the Scottish defence, and then it exploded when Chiakha scored a few seconds later. He (Kevin Diks) was even devastatingly sure from the penalty spot.”

Sport TV

“For Thursday's match against Hearts, FCK coach Jacob Neestrup chose to change the goalkeeper position, as Nathan Trott started in the back. FCK goalkeeper Theo Sander was selected a month ago against AGF, after Nathan Trott had been the first choice since July. Theo Sander guarded the goal in the following four matches, all of which ended in victories for FCK.

“Nathan Trott did not have a strenuous day at work on Thursday evening - especially in the first half, when Hearts did not have a single shot on target against the FCK goal. FCK took the lead from the start and maintained the pressure with aggressive pressure as soon as the Hearts players got the ball at their feet. The Scots had few opportunities to play, and after 20 minutes Hearts won a corner kick, which sparked huge cheers from a packed away section of Scottish fans.

“After 25 minutes, FCK's Mohamed Elyounoussi had a chance that was probably harder to miss than to score. The Norwegian got a flat ball at his feet close to goal, while his attempt hit the underside of the crossbar. The second half was only three minutes old when a dominant FCK scored a goal after a long run.

“Elyounoussi's shot was saved by Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon, but 18-year-old FCK striker Amin Chiakha was ready and scored the 1-0 goal just in front of the goal line. In the following minutes, FCK had several great chances, but veteran Gordon in the Scottish goal made acrobatic saves to ensure that the 1-0 lead was not doubled immediately. With fifteen minutes left, FCK was awarded a penalty after a VAR check. Defender Kevin Diks made sure to safely execute it for a 2-0 score that definitively punctuated the match.”

Ekstra Bladet

“They have struggled to make it work in the Conference League, where despite great dominance they have conceded points in the Park twice. But on Thursday evening, there were other things on the table for FC Copenhagen, and Jacob Neestrup's team secured a 2-0 victory, which means that they now have eight points in the league. This pleases the head coach, who was extremely satisfied with what he saw from his players.”

Berlingske

“FCK could not break Hearts, who are currently second to last in the top Scottish league, in the first half, despite a massive advantage in the game. The Copenhageners' opening goal came a few minutes after the break, while a penalty kick in the final phase by Kevin Diks cemented the victory. With the three points, FCK is in 14th place in the Conference League with eight points.

“This means FCK is currently in the field of 24 teams that will advance to the knockout phase of the tournament. There is only one round of play left, where FCK will face Austrian Rapid Wien in the hunt for advancement.”