Manchester United will have the chance to leap to second in the UEFA Champions League Group A standings when they take on FC Copenhagen at Parken on Wednesday.
The curtains will fall on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday. While a few teams can seal their spot in the Round of 16 or get closer to it, many will be eager to remain alive in the competition. FC Copenhagen and Manchester United are two such clubs, with the sides locking horns at Parken this week.
FC Copenhagen needed to go through the qualifiers to reach the UEFA Champions League. They started their European campaign with a 2-2 draw with Galatasaray before going down to Bayern Munich and Manchester United. While Jacob Neestrup’s men have managed only one point thus far, they have given a good account of themselves, taking each game down the wire.
Meanwhile, the Lions sit atop the Superliga table after the first 14 games, with nearest challenger Brondby IF being three points behind. As for Manchester United, the Red Devils are eighth on the Premier League table. They have been dreadful thus far this term, with wins coming at a premium.
Their Champions League campaign has been even more appalling as they fell to a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena before Galatasaray handed them a shock 3-2 loss at home on Matchday 2. But Erik ten Hag’s men bounced back in the most recent fixture to rise to third in the Group A standings.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United managing a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen, with Harry Maguire scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
FC Copenhagen
🔗 https://t.co/3E0q6mMnat pic.twitter.com/FmUcN0eg3G
— F.C. København (@FCKobenhavn) November 7, 2023
Jacob Neestrup does not have a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester United on Wednesday, the FC Copenhagen manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
David Khocholava (knee), Birger Meling (muscle), and William Clem (leg) remain unavailable, while Mohamed Elyounoussi is doubtful after missing the last match with an unspecified problem. In addition, Noah Sahsah (knee) faces a race against time to determine his availability.
Kamil Grabara will take his spot between the sticks, with FC Copenhagen lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. The defensive unit should feature Kevin Diks, Denis Vavro, Peter Ankersen, and Elias Jelert. The quartet will look to remain compact, with Ankersen and Jelert charging forward when the opportunities present themselves.
As for the midfield unit, Rasmus Falk, Lukas Lerager, and Diogo Goncalves will form a fluid trifecta. While Falk will be primarily defensive-minded, he will also initiate quick transitions. Meanwhile, Lerager and Goncalves will provide the forward thrust from the middle of the park.
Viktor Claesson reprised the “False Nine” role in the reverse fixture and should feature in the same position on Wednesday. Elias Achouri and Jordan Larsson will line up alongside him in the final third, with the duo looking to veer infield on most occasions.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Grabara; Ankersen, Vavro, Diks, Jelert; Lerager, Falk, Goncalves; Larsson, Claesson, Achouri
Manchester United
Unlike his counterpart in the FC Copenhagen dugout, Erik ten Hag has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Parken. The Manchester United manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
The good news is Victor Lindelof and Marcus Rashford are available and part of the travelling squad. But Luke Shaw (muscle injury), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Lisandro Martinez (foot), and Casemiro (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Next stop: Copenhagen 🇩🇰#MUFC || #UCL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 7, 2023
Manchester United will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Wednesday, with Andre Onana taking his spot between the sticks. Meanwhile, the defensive unit should see one change, with Raphael Varane replacing Jonny Evans as Harry Maguire’s central defensive partner. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot should continue as the full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen will retain their spots in the double pivot. Bruno Fernandes should reprise his usual no. 10 role, with Rasmus Hojlund leading the line. But wide attacking slots should have a different look, with Marcus Rashford and Facundo Pellistri completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Dalot; McTominay, Eriksen; Pellistri, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Key Stats
- Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Copenhagen on Matchday 3 ended a run of five UEFA Champions League games without a victory and was their first clean sheet in the competition since November 2021.
- FC Copenhagen are winless in their last ten games against English opponents in European competition, failing to score in their last eight such games.
- Manchester United have won seven of their ten meetings with Danish sides in all European competition (D1 L2), although both defeats have come in their last three such away games.
- Manchester United have only won one of their last seven away games in the Champions League (D2 L4), with that solitary victory coming at Villarreal in November 2021 under then-caretaker boss Michael Carrick.
- FC Copenhagen are without a win in their last nine Champions League matches (D4 L5).
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
The returning Marcus Rashford was one of the options for the position. But we have picked Bruno Fernandes, who has hit back at his naysayers with aplomb this past weekend. And the Manchester United captain will be raring to go after scoring the match-winner against Fulham.
The Portuguese international came in for criticism after the Manchester Derby, with Roy Keane asking Erik ten Hag to strip him of the club captaincy. But Fernandes has time and again proven that he is by far the best player at Manchester United. So, with the Red Devils looking to inch closer to a spot in the Round of 16, his output will hold the key on Wednesday.
Prediction
FC Copenhagen 1-2 Manchester United
FC Copenhagen ran Manchester United close in the reverse fixture, with only an Andre Onana penalty save stopping Jacob Neestrup’s men from stealing a point from the game. So, the return leg should be another closely contested affair.
The Lions have given a good account of themselves thus far in the UEFA Champions League. And with Manchester United still not showing any signs of improvement, a shock result is possible. But Bruno Fernandes should produce another match-winning performance to deliver a close win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Erik ten Hag and his charges.
