In a pivotal Group A showdown, Copenhagen welcomes Manchester United to Parken Stadium on matchday four of the Champions League.
Copenhagen is eager to avenge their narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford just two weeks ago.
Match Preview
Copenhagen had a strong showing against Manchester United on matchday three, but they left Manchester empty-handed.
Harry Maguire’s second-half header and a dramatic last-minute penalty save by Andre Onana secured a 1-0 win for the Red Devils.
With just one point from their first three Champions League games, Copenhagen faces a tough challenge in securing a top-two finish in Group A.
They currently sit at the bottom of the group, three points behind second-placed Galatasaray, who will face leaders Bayern Munich in their next match.
Since their loss at Old Trafford, Copenhagen has gone on a three-game winning streak domestically, with a 4-0 victory over Hvidovre, a 1-0 win against Midtjylland in the Danish Cup, and a 4-2 top-flight success at Randers.
They now lead the Superliga, four points ahead of second-placed Brondby. Copenhagen faces Brondby in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.
Copenhagen is preparing to host Manchester United at Parken Stadium for the first time since their memorable 1-0 home victory over the Red Devils in the 2006-07 Champions League group stage.
This victory marked their first-ever win in the competition, and it occurred on matchday four.
Repeating that success may be challenging, as Copenhagen has failed to win any of their last 10 meetings with English clubs in European competition.
Additionally, they have drawn five of their last six Champions League home games, with four of them ending in 0-0 stalemates.
Manchester United faced struggles in their previous games, suffering 3-0 losses to Newcastle United and Manchester City in the EFL Cup and Premier League.
However, they managed to secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Fulham in the top flight, thanks to a late goal from Bruno Fernandes.
The win against Fulham eased some pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, but Manchester United remains six points behind the Premier League’s top four teams.
While they have a favorable match against Luton Town in the Premier League next, Manchester United must first focus on the Champions League clash with Copenhagen.
A victory is crucial to leapfrog Galatasaray into the second spot in Group A before facing them in matchday five.
Overall, Manchester United has had a good record in Denmark, winning seven of their last 10 European matches in the country. However, they have lost two of their last three away games in Denmark.
Their recent away record in European competition has room for improvement, with just one win in their last seven Champions League away matches, which was a 2-0 victory at Villarreal in November 2021.
Team News
Copenhagen will be without William Clem, David Khocholava, and Birger Meling due to injuries.
Mohamed Elyounoussi is a major doubt after missing the last match with an unspecified problem.
Valdemar Lund is expected to be part of the matchday squad after recovering from injury, but he is not likely to start.
Oscar Hojlund and Emil Hojlund, the brothers of Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, are pushing for a start.
As for Manchester United, Marcus Rashford and Victor Lindelof are minor doubts.
Several players, including Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo, Tyrell Malacia, and Jadon Sancho, are unavailable.
Predicted Lineups
Copenhagen:
- Grabara;
- Ankersen, Vavro, Diks, Jelert;
- Lerager, Falk, Goncalves;
- Larsson, Claesson, Achouri
Manchester United:
- Onana;
- Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Dalot;
- McTominay, Eriksen;
- Pellistri, Fernandes, Rashford;
- Hojlund
Predicted Score: Copenhagen 0-1 Manchester United
Copenhagen has been strong at home, and Manchester United has had issues in the final third. We expect a tight game, but Manchester United is likely to secure another narrow victory to keep their last-16 hopes alive.