Two rounds ago, FC Midtjylland trailed FC Copenhagen—the leaders of the Superliga—by five points, but following a 2-1 victory over rivals Viborg FF on Monday evening, FC Midtjylland has closed that gap.
Philip Billing proved the match-winner in the local derby, firing a loose ball into the net in the 66th minute.
Encounters between Viborg and Midtjylland are typically both entertaining and intense; however, that was certainly not the case during the first 45 minutes on Monday as the usual tension that accompanies a clash between these two sides was notably absent.
That changed in the second half, however.
Midtjylland started the second half much stronger, and within a few minutes, Rasmus Nissen Kristensen put the visitors ahead. The captain got to the front of a corner kick and glanced the ball into the net.
This injected significantly more life into the match, and it wasn't long before the hosts responded.
Forward Dorian Junior scored the equalizer following a sequence of errors by the visitors. After Friday Etim lost possession, Viborg’s Charly Nouck launched an attack and delivered the ball onto the head of Dorian Junior, who managed to get in front of Andreas Maxso.
Viborg’s Charly Nouck was in fine form, and shortly after, he came close to putting the hosts in the lead—but instead, things went wrong at the other end.
Midtjylland substitute Sofus Johannesen created a dangerous opportunity when he broke through on the right flank.
Following a cross, the ball fell to the feet of Philip Billing, who fired the winning goal into the net with his usually composed right foot.
It was a gut punch for Viborg, who had otherwise been enjoying a strong spell. The hosts failed to regain their composure, while the visitors took control of the match and secured the victory.