FCK reaction: Ståle on 2-1 win over CSKA Sofia

FC Copenhagen beat CSKA Sofia 2-1 in Thursday's Europa League qualifier - and manager Ståle Solbakken was delighted with his players.

The Lions came back from a goal down to beat 10-men CSKA in the Bulgarian capital.

Goals from Denis Vavro and Kenan Kodro secured the first-leg triumph for FCK.

And Ståle praised his men for their display.

"We put out an offensive team and I thought we played good football all the time, but it also cost a lot of effort here in the heat, so by the end, Viktor Fischer and Kenan Kodro had to swap, and Dame N'Doye was also tired," the boss said.

"CSKA had a clear gameplan, which we combated, and they did well with their fast players, especially Maurides and Despodov. We had the ball a lot and played a good game, but when we lost it, they came at us fast the other way.

"It's impossible to say how much the red card meant to the game, because it's never easy to play 11 vs 10 over one half. They are a good team and it was a big fight for them and they had their crowd's massive support all evening, so it was a hot atmosphere. But I think we kept cool heads and did not let us be influenced."

Next up for FCK is the derby with Brøndby on August 12.

>> You can still buy FC Copenhagen vs Brøndby tickets for the game via our online store