UEFA Champions League: Copenhagen vs Manchester City Live
Preview
Copenhagen vs Manchester City will come off on Tuesday at the Parken Stadium as the Citizens continue their Champions League title defense in the first leg of the last-16 match. Pep Guardiola’s team dominated Group G to secure the top spot, while their opponents managed to secure second place in Group A behind Bayern Munich.
Taking advantage of Manchester United’s ongoing struggles, the emerging Danish team Copenhagen initially only managed to secure one point from their first three Champions League matches in the 2023-24 season. However, an unexpected unbeaten streak from November to December propelled Jacob Neestrup’s team to the last 16. Narrow victories over Manchester United and Galatasaray, along with a commendable goalless draw against group winners Bayern, secured Copenhagen’s place in the Europa League.
Their European journey continued as Lukas Lerager scored the only goal against Galatasaray. This marks only the second time that the Nordic team has reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, with their previous attempt resulting in a loss to Chelsea in the 2010-11 last 16. Copenhagen’s current opportunity comes at a time of domestic inconsistency, as they entered the Superliga winter break on the back of a three-match winless run, dropping to third in the table after consecutive losses to Viborg and AGF.
RB Leipzig, Young Boys, and Red Star Belgrade tried to stop the Guardiola-led team in the group stage of Europe’s top competition, but they were unsuccessful as Manchester City easily advanced to the last 16 with a perfect 18 points. Only Real Madrid, with 14 titles, also reached the last 16 without dropping any points.
Manchester City’s 3-2 victory over Red Star on the final matchday in Group G extended their winning streak in the Champions League to eight games, the longest for an English team in the tournament’s history. After a tense 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, Manchester City returned to form with an impressive 10-game winning streak across all competitions, briefly taking the top spot in the Premier League after a 2-0 win over Everton, thanks to Erling Haaland’s two goals.
Head-to-head
Last season, these two teams faced each other in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Manchester City won 5-0 at home and then played to a goalless draw in Copenhagen. In their last four matches against FC Copenhagen, Manchester City have recorded two wins and two draws.
Prediction
After two unsuccessful attempts to defeat Copenhagen on their home turf, Manchester City, who are nearly at full strength, should have a better chance on Tuesday, especially since the hosts have lost a key player in Lerager. The atmosphere at Parken Stadium can be daunting for visiting teams, but with Guardiola’s team typically performing well in the winter-to-spring period, they are likely to secure an advantage in the first leg to take back to Etihad Stadium.
