Manchester City will look to take a step closer to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when they face FC Copenhagen on Tuesday.
The UEFA Champions League is back after two months, with the knockout phase getting underway this week. Tuesday will bring us two fixtures, one of which will have FC Copenhagen hosting Manchester City at Parken.
FC Copenhagen sent shockwaves across Europe when they finished second in a group including Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Galatasaray. But with the Red Devils finished fourth in Group A, the Matchday 6 clash between them and Galatasaray was a straight shootout for the second spot. Meanwhile, Jacob Neestrup’s men are third in the Danish Superliga.
As for Manchester City, the Citizens are among the most in-form teams in the world. They have won their last ten matches, with the run including the triumphant Club World Cup campaign. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men topped Group G, winning all six games to ease through to the Round of 16.
The most recent match-up feature FC Copenhagen and Manchester City ended in a goalless draw in the 2022/23 group stage. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
FC Copenhagen
Jacob Neestrup has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester City on Tuesday, the FC Copenhagen manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Lukas Lerager is the latest absentee, with the Danish midfielder seeing red on Matchday Six versus Galatasaray. Interestingly, the 30-year-old scored the goal that sent FC Copenhagen to the Round of 16. Lerager has joined Davit Khocholava (knee) and Theo Sander (knee) on the sidelines, while Birger Meling is doubtful due to a muscle injury.
Kamil Grabara will take his spot between the sticks, with FC Copenhagen lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Manchester City. The backline should feature Peter Ankersen, Elias Jelert, Kevin Diks, and Denis Vavro. The quartet will look to remain compact and cut off the passing lanes.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Rasmus Falk, Viktor Claesson, and Diogo Goncalves, with Claesson replacing the suspended Lerager. Finally, the in-demand Roony Bardghji will likely spearhead the line for FC Copenhagen, with Elias Achouri and Mohamed Elyounoussi being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Grabara; Ankersen, Diks, Vavro, Jelert; Goncalves, Falk, Claesson; Elyounoussi, Bardghji, Achouri
Manchester City
Unlike his counterpart in the FC Copenhagen dugout, Pep Guardiola does not have any issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Parken. The Manchester City manager will have a fully-fit squad at his disposal on Tuesday.
Manchester City will also line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Ederson Moraes being the automatic pick between the sticks. Meanwhile, Guardiola has a plethora of options for the backline, especially for the central defensive partnership.
Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol should be the two full-backs, with Ruben Dias and John Stones being the two centre-backs. Stones often gets the nod in the UEFA Champions League and should start ahead of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will reprise his usual holding midfield role, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings from the middle of the park. Finally, Erling Haaland should spearhead the Manchester City attack against FC Copenhagen, with Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku completing the numbers in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Doku, Haaland, Foden
Key Stats
- The most recent meeting between FC Copenhagen and Manchester City ended in a goalless draw. But the Lions are without a win against the Premier League heavyweights in four match-ups (D2 L2).
- Manchester City are yet to notch up a win in an away game against Danish opposition in the main draw of a UEFA competition. Both the stalemates against FC Copenhagen came at Parken, while they lost to Aalborg BK in the UEFA Cup in 2009.
- Danish outfits have lost all three European Cup/UEFA Champions League home games against reigning European champions by an aggregate scoreline of 12-0.
- Manchester City are on an eight-match winning run in the UEFA Champions League, the longest run by any English club in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history. The last club to have a longer run in the competition had been Bayern Munich (15) between 2019 and 2020.
- Roony Bardghji scored the winner when Copenhagen beat Manchester United 4-3 in the group stage. He can now become just the second player to net against two different English clubs in the Champions League as a teenager, after Kylian Mbappe.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City might be on a superb winning run. But with the business end of the 2023/24 season approaching, Pep Guardiola needs his main guys to get back to their best to help take his team’s performances to the next level. That brings Kevin De Bruyne into the picture.
The Belgian international returned from a long injury layoff last month and has been excellent in every outing. But Guardiola has yet to hand him a string of starts and is taking his fitness situation seriously. So, with De Bruyne likely to feature from the get-go on Tuesday, except a creative masterclass from the veteran playmaker.
Prediction
FC Copenhagen 1-3 Manchester City
As iterated earlier, Manchester City’s away record against Danish opponents in the main draw of a UEFA competition is dreadful. But they are in an exceptional run right now, and FC Copenhagen will unlikely end their ten-match winning streak.
Meanwhile, Danish sides are yet to score in a home game against reigning European champions. But that unenviable run should end on Tuesday, with Jacob Neestrup’s men producing a typically spirited performance. But that might only get a consolation goal, with The Hard Tackle predicting Pep Guardiola and his charges to clinch a 3-1 victory this midweek.
