FC Copenhagen host Borussia Dortmund in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League, with both teams eager for a key victory.

Jacob Neestrup will be under pressure to deliver results in the UEFA Champions League following a rather disappointing start to life in the premier European competition this season. Following an entertaining draw in a to-and-fro match against Bayer Leverkusen in the opening matchday, FC Copenhagen succumbed to Qarabag on Matchday 2, with Borussia Dortmund up next for them.

With FC Copenhagen’s league campaign going south following recent results, the manager will be motivated to bring some joy from the Champions League as they host the Black and Yellows next in the competition.

Meanwhile, the same can be said about Borussia Dortmund’s league campaign, as they have faltered of late against key rivals in the Bundesliga. Following a disappointing draw against current second-placed side RB Leipzig before the international break, Niko Kovac’s men lost out to Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker at the weekend.

There is already a considerable gap in the Bundesliga standings, but the same cannot be said about their Champions League campaign. Kovac will be keen to fight out a top-eight place, and for that, they need consistent results. So far, Dortmund have played out the most entertaining game against Juventus in a 4-4 draw on Matchday 1, and then followed that up by beating Athletic Club in the second round.

Team News & Tactics

FC Copenhagen

Jacob Neestrup has a lot of injury issues in his squad, with as many as seven first-team stars potentially missing from action ahead of a crucial UEFA Champions League clash. Key among those is Mexican defender Rodrigo Huescas, missing with a knee problem, while midfielder Magnus Mattsson is also struggling to return fit.

Key forward Mohamed Elyounoussi missed out at the weekend, but he has a good enough chance to return to the lineup if deemed fit. However, experienced stars Andreas Cornelius and Thomas Delaney are also sidelined with injuries.

Neestrup will still prefer to go with a 4-3-3 shape despite the threat of many potential injury-enforced absentees, with Gabriel Pereira and Pantelis Hatzidiakos holding the central defensive positions.

Mads Emil Madsen will sit at the base of Copenhagen’s midfield, with Lukas Lerager and William Clem on either side of him. Viktor Claesson will lead the line, with Elias Achouri and Robert Silva completing the front three setup.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kotarski; Garan’anga, Pereira, Hatzidiakos, Lopez; Lerager, Madsen, Clem; Achouri, Claesson, Silva

Borussia Dortmund

Compared to his FC Copenhagen counterpart, Niko Kovac has a relatively short injury list, with Emre Can and Julien Duranville absent from proceedings. The former is still recovering from a groin issue, which may not affect Kovac’s selection choices at the moment.

At the moment, the Borussia manager could lean towards selecting Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer in his midfield, with Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt playing in the advanced attacking roles behind striker Serhou Guirassy.

The recent return to action for Nico Schlotterbeck has provided a boost for Kovac, with Julian Ryerson and Niklas Sule completing the backline for Borussia Dortmund against FC Copenhagen. Gregor Kobel will take his spot between the sticks.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Sule; Couto, Nmecha, Sabitzer, Svensson; Adeyemi, Brandt; Guirassy

Key Stats

• FC Copenhagen have won only two out of their last eight games across all competitions.
• FC Copenhagen are winless in their last three games.
• Borussia Dortmund has scored eight goals in their opening two games in the Champions League this season.
• Borussia Dortmund have won three of their last four against FC Copenhagen.
• Since the start of last season, Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is one of only two players, along with Raphina (21), to have been directly involved in 20+ goals in the UEFA Champions League (20 – 14 goals, six assists). Guirassy has either scored (4) or assisted (4) in seven of his eight away games in the competition for Dortmund.

Player to Watch

Serhou Guirassy

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The star striker has had another good start to a campaign, and Niko Kovac will be hoping he is in a better vein of form than last year. Guirassy already has six goals across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund this season, and on current form, he could soon break into double figures.

Kovac will hope to get the best out of Guirassy in the UEFA Champions League, as some key games are coming up, starting with the visit to Copenhagen. The Borussia Dortmund manager would want his centre-forward in top form and need him to be in lethal condition to stand a chance of finishing inside the top eight this season.

Prediction

FC Copenhagen 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

FC Copenhagen could be in for a tough night against Borussia Dortmund, given their form and the raft of injury issues in the side. Even with home advantage, the Danish giants are nowhere close to being favourites to win this clash, as their search for the first win in the competition could continue into the next matchday.

As for Borussia Dortmund, they seem to play with the handbrake off in the UEFA Champions League this season, and that could be the case when they face Copenhagen. Hence, Kovac’s men will get the job done, although our prediction could be more on the conservative end.