Bayer Leverkusen secured a dramatic 2-2 draw at FC Copenhagen in their Champions League opener on Thursday, thanks to an own goal by Pantelis Hatzidiakos deep in stoppage time. The Danish side got off to an ideal start when Jordan Larsson converted Elias Achouri’s cross after just nine minutes, setting the tone at Parken Stadium.
Leverkusen struggled to create meaningful chances in the first half, with Copenhagen dominating proceedings and only impressive saves from Mark Flekken preventing a bigger deficit. After the break, the German visitors improved, but Copenhagen’s goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski repeatedly denied their efforts.
The breakthrough finally came in the 82nd minute when Alejandro Grimaldo curled a free kick over the wall and off the underside of the bar to level the score. Copenhagen regained the lead five minutes later through a low header by Robert, leaving Leverkusen desperate for an equaliser. In stoppage time, substitute Claudio Echeverri’s cross deflected off Hatzidiakos into his own net, rescuing a point for the German side.
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