For many reasons, it is easy to gloss over the upcoming FC Copenhagen vs. FC Bayern Munich match in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League.
One of them is that Copenhagen is a perennial “also-ran” in the competition whenever they get past the qualifier stage to the group stage – they have only gone past the group stages once, in 2010/11, when they exited at the round of 16 stage.
Another is that Bayern Munich is six-time winners of the Champions League, a record that is equaled by Liverpool and only bettered by AC Milan (7) and Real Madrid (14).
Although both sides have no history to draw from – their matchday 2 clash in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League will be their first recorded match against each other – the Danish team does not look like potential Bayern-beaters.
Copenhagen earned a famous result against Galatasaray, a team they are more familiar with, on matchday 1. That result was earned at the intimidating home stadium of the Turkish giants.
However, Galatasaray will struggle against Bayern, which helps to draw a clear line from how the Danish champions performed in that game to how they would fare against the German giants.
On the other hand, Bayern did not start their Champions League campaign well. They sealed a 4-3 victory over Manchester United.
Still, Copenhagen presents an opportunity for them to find their feet again and possibly extend the goal difference, which looks like it could be important to who finishes at the top of the table in their group.
Then again, football is a funny and unpredictable sport where minute details tend to be deciding factors in the outcome of a game, no matter the stakes.
Match Tickets
FC Copenhagen vs FC Bayern Munich tickets will be on sale on the websites of both clubs in a couple of days. The match will be played at the 38,065-capacity Parken Stadium on Tuesday, 3 October 2023, at 8 P.M.
The home fans will troop in to see the big names that represent Bayern Munich take to their pitch, hoping their team can pull a famous upset.
The away team may have fewer traveling fans as the stakes of the match are not so high. However, the match tickets, especially the home tickets, could be sold out.
And for fans in Denmark interested in seeing Bayern Munich attempt to add Copenhagen to their list of Champions League victims and Copenhagen trying to earn their most famous result to date, ticket resellers like Seatsnet.com may be the only option to get past the gate.
Fans at home can catch the match on many broadcast services and streaming platforms, including TNT Sports (formerly known as BT Sport), who are one of the major broadcasters of the UEFA Champions League.
To stream the game via TNT Sports, fans will have to download the Discovery+ app and subscribe to TNT Sports on their smart televisions or mobile devices to enjoy FC Copenhagen vs FC Bayern Munich.
Team News
30-year-old Georgian centreback Davit Khocholava is the only fitness concern that manager Jacob Neestrup will have. Starting right-back Elias Jelert is suspended for the game after picking up two yellow cards in Turkey against Galatasaray.
Thomas Tuchel, manager of Bayern Munich, will be hoping and taking care that goalkeeper Sven Ulreich stays fit for the foreseeable future. This is because the first team has lost two goalkeepers to injury, and their recovery date is unknown.
In the case of Manuel Neuer, 37, many believe he may not recover on time to participate in their UEFA Champions League campaign.
The only other fitness worry he has is his new signing, 29-year-old Raphaël Guerreiro, whose match fitness has been judged to be very poor by the staff. He is currently under supervision and is doing some physical work to get him up to speed and ready to take on the rigors of professional football.
Lineups
Without Jelert in the running for the starting right-back berth, Peter Ankersen will go straight into the starting lineup for FC Copenhagen. The rest of the lineup will remain the same as that is the best team that Neestrup can field.
However, he has great options off the bench, like Oscar Højlund and Orri Óskarsson, two teenagers who have caught the eye of many top clubs outside Denmark.
- FC Copenhagen: Grabara, Meling, Diks, Vavro, Ankersen; Lerager, Falk, Gonçalves; Achouri, Larsson, Elyounoussi.
FC Bayern Munich could rest Kim Min-Jae and Konrad Laimer in defense and bring back Thomas Müller into the midfield.
Laimer, a natural midfielder who has been made to play left-back by Tuchel for tactical reasons, could also get a run in the middle of the park so that Goretzka or Kimmich can rest.
This could also be the match where interesting forward Mathys Tel makes his first start for the club this season.
- FC Bayern Munich: Ulreich; Mazraoui, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies; Goretzka, Kimmich; Tel, Müller, Sane; Kane.
Prediction
FC Copenhagen vs FC Bayern Munich is a potential one-sided affair, as alluded to in the opener of this preview. It is unlikely that the Danish side, with their home advantage, will overcome the tactical and personnel superiority of Bayern Munich.
The best home fans can hope for is a similar scoreline to what Manchester United pulled off at the Allianz Arena on matchday 1 of the competition.
This means that they will have to be at their absolute best to limit the damage they will suffer at the hands of the six-time UEFA Champions League winners so that they can stand a chance of making it to the UEFA Europa League as the third-placed team in the group.
Bayern will win this one convincingly, and Harry Kane will again get on the scoresheet. Multiple times? Maybe.
- FC Copenhagen 0 – 3 FC Bayern Munich.
