Manchester City vs FC Copenhagen Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Manchester City will shift their focus to the UEFA Champions League when they host FC Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Premier League champions Manchester City will want to ensure a place in the next stage with a victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. Manchester City steamrolled Manchester United 6-3 in their last Premier League clash. And if they maintain the momentum another goal feast could be in the offing.

Manchester City were trounced once again in the Champions League semi-final as Real Madrid came back to haunt them again, with Pep Guardiola’s continental dream taking a back seat again last season. But the English champions have made a fresh start this season, beating Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. And they are determined to put things behind them in a bid to capture the stage this time.

FC Copenhagen have not been in the best form and if we go by their standards it would take a lot for them to grind something positive from this match.

Their Danish title defence has been in tatters as they are currently in the sixth position having won five and lost six so far in the top flight. They managed a last-gasp win over Aarhus in the last game and would be full of confidence when they face a jubilant City on their turf.

But their away form has been pretty concerning as they won only once in their last seven games away from home and would be craving a miraculous escape.

City last met Copenhagen in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup where they ran out the winner and this time too they should not have any problems in easing out to a win.

Victories against Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund have put them in a very strong position and unless something extraordinary things happens they will be the first team to secure a place in the next stage.

Team News and Tactics

Manchester City

Good vibes in today's training! 😁 pic.twitter.com/dexwseb5Ta

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 3, 2022

Manchester City did not come unscathed from their win in the Manchester Derby. Kyle Walker hobbled off the pitch and is unlikely to face FC Copenhagen. Rodri and John Stones did not play against Manchester United, and they might miss this clash.

Kalvin Phillips, too, will remain on the sidelines, so Pep Guardiola is missing several key players. Ederson Moraes will have his place in the goal. He will have a new centre-back pairing of Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte in front of him.

Joao Cancelo will deputise in the absence of Kyle Walker, while Sergio Gomez will start in the left-back role. Ilkay Gundogan will once again operate from the deep-lying position. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva will assist the Manchester City captain in getting the balance right.

Riyad Mahrez will come in and star on the right flank, while Jack Grealish will continue to feature on the opposite side. Erling Haaland will spearhead the Manchester City attack against FC Copenhagen. Julian Alvarez is also an option if Guardiola opts to rest Haaland.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Laporte, Dias, Gomez; Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish

FC Copenhagen

For FC Copenhagen, Akinkunmi Amoo will not be a part of the squad this season after rupturing his ligament. Mamoudou Karamoko will not be available for the clash against Manchester City either.

Mathew Ryan will be in charge of the goal. And the FC Copenhagen goalkeeper will be guarded by Denis Vavro and Davit Khocholava. Kevin Diks and Victor Kristiansen will be gunning up for a challenge from the right and left sides of the defence, respectively.

Zeca will appear in the defensive midfield role, and he will be greeted by Rasmus Falk and Marko Stamenic in the midfield. Viktor Claesson’s form will be crucial in this match, and he will start on the right flank. Mohamed Daramy will start on the left side, and Andreas Cornelius will act as the lone striker against Manchester City.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ryan; Diks, Vavro, Khocholava, Kristiansen; Falk, Zeca, Stramenic; Claesson, Cornelius, Daramy

Key Stats

• Manchester City and FC Copenhagen last faced off in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, with the Citizens winning 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a 2-1 win in the second leg thanks to a Craig Bellamy brace.
• Copenhagen’s last away triumph in the Champions League came back in 2016 against Club Brugge.
• Manchester City have not been beaten at home in the UEFA Champions League in 21 matches.
• Erling Haaland has scored 26 goals in 21 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, scoring every 62 minutes on average, the best rate of any of the 60 players to have scored 20+ goals in the competition. The player with the second-best rate is Mario Gomez, who averages a goal every 102 minutes. Haaland has already equalled Gomez’s UEFA Champions League goal total of 26 despite playing over 1000 minutes fewer.
• Joao Cancelo has been directly involved in eight goals in the UEFA Champions League since the start of last season, scoring twice while assisting a further six goals, the most of any defender in this period

Player to Watch

Erling Haaland

Haaland has already demonstrated what he can do if he gets the right service, and he will only get better with time. The young striker is destined for success, and we might witness another world-class display from the Manchester City talisman.

Prediction

Manchester City 5-0 FC Copenhagen

FC Copenhagen do not seem to stand a chance against the reigning English champions. Erling Haaland and co. could prove to be a dangerous combination for the visiting side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-0 thumping, with Manchester City inching closer to reaching the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.