Tottenham Hotspur will host FC Copenhagen in a UEFA Champions League tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, eager to return to winning ways.
Tottenham Hotspur will look to get back to winning ways with a positive performance vs FC Copenhagen this midweek. Spurs are in disappointing form right now, and they have picked up just two wins from their last six matches in all competitions.
Thomas Frank’s men are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive defeats, and they have failed to get on the score sheet in those matches. They will look to turn things around and get back to winning ways.
On the other hand, FC Copenhagen are the underdogs here, and Tottenham are undoubtedly the better team. However, Spurs will need to raise their performance levels to get the job done. They cannot afford to underestimate the opposition here.
It will be interesting to see if they can pick up their second win in the UEFA Champions League this season. The North Londoners have drawn the last two European matches, and they will look to get back on track. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Thomas Frank has several injury problems here. Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Randal Kolo Muani, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke are all long-term absentees for the home side.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs FC Copenhagen, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero will form the central defensive partnership alongside Micky van de Ven.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality to the side alongside Archie Gray in the double. The central midfield duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
Xavi Simons will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. The Dutch playmaker will also look to open up opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Richarlison will lead the line for Tottenham vs FC Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gray; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Richarlison
FC Copenhagen
Thomas Delaney, Birger Meling, Marcos Lopez, Oliver Hojer, Magnus Mattsson, and Rodrigo Huescas are all ruled out for the away side. Liam West is unregistered for the European competition.
FC Copenhagen will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Dominik Kotarski in goal. Pantelis Hatzidiakos and Gabriel Pereira will start as the centre-backs. Yoram Zague and Junnosuke Suzuki are expected to fill in as the full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, William Clem and Lukas Lerager will anchor the midfield and provide defensive cover. Jordan Larsson, Viktor Claesson, and Elias Achouri will be supporting 17-year-old forward Viktor Dadason in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kotarski; Zague, Hatzidiakos, Pereira, Suzuki; Clem, Lerager; Larsson, Claesson, Achouri; Dadason
Key Stats
- Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash will be the first meeting between Tottenham and FC Copenhagen and only the English side’s second match against a Danish opponent in European competition after a 3-2 win versus Aalborg in the UEFA Cup in November 2007.
- FC Copenhagen have only won two of their previous 19 matches against English sides in European competition (D5 L12), with both of those victories coming against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League (1-0 in November 2006 and 4-3 in November 2023). The Danish giants have never won away to an English opponent in Europe, losing in seven of their nine attempts (D2). They have lost each of the last five in a row, with four of those coming since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
- Tottenham Hotspur have drawn each of their last two UEFA Champions League matches. Two of their last four games in the competition have been 0-0. Spurs have not drawn three in a row in major European competition since doing so between March and October 2014 in the UEFA Europa League.
- FC Copenhagen have conceded two or more goals in their last five UEFA Champions League matches, shipping 14 in total (D1 L4). They have only won one of 19 games in the competition when shipping two or more goals (D2 L16), a 4-3 win over Manchester United in November 2023.
- Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in their last nine major European matches (W6 D3). They last had a run of 10 undefeated games between December 2011 and March 2013 in the UEFA Europa League.
Player to Watch
Xavi Simons
The Netherlands international is our key player to watch out for. He has had a difficult start to life in English football. The former RB Leipzig playmaker will be desperate to make his mark at Tottenham, and this is a golden opportunity for him.
FC Copenhagen have been quite disappointing in the UEFA Champions League, and they are yet to pick up a single victory this campaign. Simons will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third and get on the score sheet here.
If he manages to perform at a high level, it will give him a much-needed confidence boost. The visitors are quite poor defensively, and this could be a golden opportunity for the Dutch attacker to stamp his authority.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 FC Copenhagen
Tottenham will be desperate for a victory here. They will be under pressure after the last two performances. The North London outfit are undoubtedly the better team, and they have a better set of players as well. On the other hand, FC Copenhagen are lacking in form and confidence, and they are going through a rough patch in Europe.
The Danish giants are yet to pick up a single victory in the UEFA Champions League this season. Meanwhile, they are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive wins in all competitions. They failed to win four matches in a row prior to that.
The visitors will look to put up a fight here, but Tottenham have more quality, and they should be able to pick up a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Thomas Frank and his charges.