Copenhagen 2-2 Leverkusen: Own goal rescues Tella-less Germans in UCL

A tale of two comebacks unfolded in the Danish capital as Bayer Leverkusen twice fought back from behind to salvage a dramatic 2-2 draw against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, with a cruel own goal in stoppage time denying the hosts what would have been a famous victory.

What began as Copenhagen's evening looked destined to end in heartbreak for the Danish champions, who demonstrated remarkable tactical intelligence only to be undone by the cruellest of circumstances. 

Playing without Nigerian winger Nathan Tella, new manager Kasper Hjulmand's Leverkusen side found themselves chasing shadows for large portions of this pulsating Champions League encounter.

Jacob Neestrup's Copenhagen entered this fixture with a clear game plan: strike early and frustrate the Bundesliga giants. That strategy paid dividends almost immediately as they took the lead through a moment of genuine quality that showed the kind of fluid attacking football that has made them dark horses in this competition.

The opening goal was a thing of beauty. Thomas Delaney's searching diagonal found Elias Achouri in full flight down the left flank, the Tunisian international's pace and persistence keeping the ball in play when it seemed destined for the touchline. 

His subsequent delivery was inch-perfect, picking out Jordan Larsson's perfectly timed run. The Swedish striker's cushioned half-volley into the far corner was the kind of finish that separates good players from great ones - composed, precise, and utterly unstoppable.

With their early advantage secured, Copenhagen transformed into a defensive masterpiece. They invited Leverkusen's pressure, compressed their lines, and waited patiently for opportunities to exploit the spaces left by the visitors' increasingly desperate forward pushes. It was textbook underdog football executed with precision and discipline.

Just when it seemed Copenhagen's defensive fortress might hold, Leverkusen found their equaliser through a moment of dead-ball magic after several attempts. 

From 25 meters out and slightly right of centre, their free-kick specialist stepped up and delivered a strike that had everything - power, precision, and that crucial dip that left Dominik Kotarski helpless. 

The ball sailed over the wall and dropped into the top-right corner with the kind of trajectory that goalkeepers have nightmares about.

If Copenhagen felt deflated by conceding their lead, they didn't show it. Instead, they responded like true champions, regaining their advantage through a move that highlighted their tactical sophistication and quality in wide areas.

Marcos Lopez's switch of play was the catalyst, a pinpoint cross-field pass that immediately shifted the momentum and stretched Leverkusen's defence. 

Substitute Yoram Zague's quick thinking to find Rodrigo Huescas on the overlap showed the kind of tactical awareness that wins matches at this level. 

The Mexican international's delivery was sublime - a floating cross that hung in the air just long enough for replacement Robert to meet it with a header that was as precise as it was powerful, finding the far corner with ease.

Copenhagen looked set to claim one of the results of the Champions League matchday when cruel fate intervened. 

Leverkusen's persistence down the left flank finally paid dividends, with Claudio Echeverri's pace and directness causing problems that the hosts had largely kept at bay throughout the evening.

The Argentine's run to the byline was full of intent, his attempt to pick out a teammate in the box seemingly routine. 

But football, as Copenhagen discovered in the cruellest possible way, can be decided by the finest of margins. 

The ball deflected off Pantelis Hatzidiakos' leg and into the net, leaving the Greek defender and his teammates devastated as Leverkusen celebrated their escape.

This was Champions League football at its most dramatic and unpredictable. The absence of Tella was keenly felt in the final third, where Leverkusen often lacked the pace and directness to stretch the hosts' well-organised defensive lines.