FC Copenhagen and Napoli will be eager to rescue their UEFA Champions League campaigns when they clash at Parken on Tuesday.
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League resumes this week with the penultimate round of fixtures. Matchday 7 will start on Tuesday, with the action kicking off with two early games before ending with seven simultaneous matches, including FC Copenhagen vs Napoli at Parken.
FC Copenhagen’s UEFA Champions League campaign has recently been on an upward trajectory, as they are on a two-game winning run, which has lifted them to 24th on the table. However, the hosts may be rusty, as they have barely played since the 3-2 win over Villarreal on Matchday 6. Tuesday’s match is their first competitive fixture of the year, and Jacob Neestrup will hope his charges produce a sharp display.
On the other hand, Napoli’s UEFA Champions League campaign has been disappointing, as they are 23rd in the standings after managing only seven points in six games. The Serie A champions have suffered disappointing defeats to PSV Eindhoven and SL Benfica, and they have a dreadful goal difference of -5. Recent results have also left much to be desired, as Antonio Conte’s men have won only one of their last four matches.
Tuesday’s match will be the first-ever match featuring FC Copenhagen and Napoli. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
FC Copenhagen
Jacob Neestrup has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The FC Copenhagen manager will be bereft of the services of only three first-team players vs Napoli on Tuesday.
Rodrigo Huescas and Magnus Mattsson remain in the treatment room due to their ongoing recoveries from knee injuries. Additionally, Kenay Myrie must wait for FC Copenhagen to finish in the top 24 and progress to the next round to play in the UEFA Champions League, as new signings can only be registered after the opening phase ends.
Dominik Kotarski will take his spot between the sticks, with FC Copenhagen lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Napoli on Tuesday. The backline will feature Yoram Zague, Gabriel Pereira, Junnosuke Suzuki, and Marcos Lopez.
As for the midfield unit, Mads Emil Madsen and William Clem will pair up in the double pivot, with Mohamed Elyounoussi reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, teenage sensation Viktor Dadason will lead the line for FC Copenhagen against Napoli, with Jordan Larsson and Elias Achouri being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kotarski; Zague, Pereira, Suzuki, Lopez; Madsen, Clem; Larsson, Elyounoussi, Achouri; Dadason
Napoli
Unlike his counterpart in the FC Copenhagen dugout, Antonio Conte has new fitness issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Parken. The Napoli manager will be without as many as seven first-team players on Tuesday.
Amir Rrahmani and Matteo Politano are the latest absentees after picking up muscular injuries this past weekend against Sassuolo. They have joined Alex Meret, Kevin De Bruyne, Billy Gilmour, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Romelu Lukaku in the treatment room. Additionally, Conte is sweating over Eljif Elmas’s fitness.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic will deputise for Meret between the sticks, with Napoli lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs FC Copenhagen on Tuesday. The central defensive unit will feature Sam Beukema, Juan Jesus, and Alessandro Buongiorno. Meanwhile, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will protect the centre-backs and provide width in the final third. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay in the middle of the park. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will spearhead the Napoli attack against FC Copenhagen, with Eljif Elmas and Noa Lang completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Jesus, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Elmas, Lang; Hojlund
Key Stats
- FC Copenhagen will face Napoli for the first time on Tuesday, and it will be the first UEFA Champions League fixture between teams from Denmark and Italy since the 2020/21 campaign, where Atalanta went unbeaten home (1-1) and away (4-0) against FC Midtjylland.
- Napoli have won all four previous games against Danish opposition in European competition, beating B 1909 Odense twice in the 1966/67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (second round) and FC Midtjylland twice in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League (group stage). On the other hand, Copenhagen are winless in all four games against Italian opponents in European competition (D1 L3), losing the last three. The most recent of those was a 1-5 home defeat to Torino in the UEFA Europa League in December 2014.
- Following victories over Kairat Almaty (MD5) and Villarreal (MD6), both by 3-2 scorelines, FC Copenhagen will aim to win three consecutive UEFA Champions League matches within the same edition for the first time.
- Napoli have lost their last five away games in the UEFA Champions League, conceding at least two goals in each defeat (17 in total). This is already their longest-ever losing streak on the road in major European competition.
- FC Copenhagen have conceded more open-play goals (14) than any other side in the UEFA Champions League this season. However, only Pafos (1) have netted fewer times in open play than Napoli (2) thus far.
Player to Watch
Stanislav Lobotka
While Mohamed Elyounoussi, Viktor Dadason, and Scott McTominay were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Stanislav Lobotka as the Player to Watch for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash between FC Copenhagen and Napoli at Parken.
The Slovakian midfielder has completed 91.6% of his passes under high-intensity pressure in the UEFA Champions League this season. Of midfielders who have attempted 100 or more, only Frenkie de Jong (92.8%), Vitinha (92.4%), and Curtis Jones (92%) have a higher completion rate. Lobotka’s consistency in the middle of the park will hold the key for Napoli to control the game and eventually win it.
Prediction
FC Copenhagen 1-2 Napoli
After losing two more players to worsen the injury crisis, Napoli must be wary of the threat that FC Copenhagen can present, particularly from the flanks. Half of Copenhagen’s goals in the UEFA Champions League this season have come from crosses (5/10).
Of teams with more than two goals scored, this is the joint-highest percentage (50%) of goals via crosses in the current edition, along with Napoli and Pafos. So, while the visitors know how to score from crosses, they must also deal with the same method. Otherwise, it may be a long night for them.
Nevertheless, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund should deliver the goods in the final third for the away side, even though Copenhagen will run them close. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Antonio Conte and his charges.
