Bayer Leverkusen escaped with a 2-2 draw against FC Copenhagen in their opening UEFA Champions League UCL League Phase clash, extending their unbeaten run in this fixture to four games W3, D1.
The Danish champions, back in the competition after a one-year absence, made a dream start in front of their home fans. With just nine minutes played, Elias Achouri drove down the flank and cut the ball back for Jordan Larsson, who calmly slotted past Mark Flekken. Considering Copenhagen had only netted 34 goals in their previous 40 UCL games, the opener was both rare and celebrated.
Softfootball predicted a very tight encounter in the games Preview , and Leverkusen pushed for a response, with Alejandro Grimaldo going close from a free-kick that whistled over the bar. The hosts almost doubled their lead just before half-time, but Youssoufa Moukoko's close-range effort was brilliantly denied by Flekken.