Misha Ghosh

Tottenham vs Copenhagen Predictions: Injury-Hit Spurs Set for Must-Win UCL Showdown

Champions League, FC Copenhagen, Tottenham Hotspur

With round 3 of the UEFA Champions League returning, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur will be back in action as they take on Denmark’s FC Copenhagen. Spurs are currently placed 15th in the UCL standings with 5 points from 1 win and 2 draws. The Danish side, on the other hand, is placed 32nd with 1 point from 1 draw and 2 losses.

Spurs head into the game on the back of 52.3% possession, 85.7% pass accuracy, and 2 clean sheets across three games. This proves that the team is ready to pounce on their opposition.

Preview

The London side is currently unbeaten in their European campaign and will aim to maintain that stat. Thomas Frank’s side heads into the game on the back of a goalless draw against Monaco in their last fixture. FC Copenhagen, on the other hand, will be desperate to notch up their first win in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign. They were comprehensively defeated in their last fixture by Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund 4-2.

Spurs haven’t been that great in the UCL this season, although they haven’t lost any matches thus far. The team began their European campaign with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, followed by a 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt and a 0-0 draw against Monaco.

FC Copenhagen played out a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in their opening UCL game and followed it up with a 2-0 loss to Qarabag FK and a 4-2 humiliation to Borussia Dortmund.

Coming to the game, the home side certainly has the upper hand. Their vicious counterattacks will be hard for the Danish side to contain. However, the visitors under Jacob Neestrup have adopted a mid-to-low block, which can often prove frustrating for Spurs when they plan to break the mid channels.

Head-to-Head

This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides in any European competition. As a result, there is no past head-to-head history between these two sides.

Team News

Tottenham Hotspur

The London side has been plagued with quite a few injuries off late. Spurs will miss out on having Lucas Bergvall for this fixture, who was substituted in their previous 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League. The player was subbed off for a concussion injury and is unlikely to play any part in their upcoming UCL tie. Spurs’ injury list keeps piling on as the likes of Yves Bissouma, Dominic Solanke, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Ben Davies, and Archie Gray are all missing out on action.

The only relief comes in the form of Christina Romero and Destiny Udogie’s return from the recent injury crisis. Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons is likely to start from the very first minute of the game.

Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Sarr; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Richarlison

FC Copenhagen

The Danish side, too, has quite a few injury concerns amongst their ranks. The likes of Thomas Delaney, Oliver Hojer, Magnus Mattsson, Rodrigo Huescas, and Birger Meling are a real concern for the side.

In terms of defense, Marcos Lopez has an injury, while Gabriel Pereira is also ill, making Copenhagen’s defense paper-thin. However, Youssoufa Moukoko and the youngster Viktor Claesson are likely to leave their mark on the game.

Predicted XI: Kotarski; Suzuki, Hatzidiakos, Garananga, Zague; Achouri, Lerager, Clem, Elyounoussi; Moukoko, Claesson

Where The Match Will Be Decided

The Premier League side, i.e., Tottenham Hotspur, is the firm favourite to win the tie. Their unbeaten streak in the UCL campaign thus far will be a huge morale booster for the side after their 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the London Derby over the weekend.

On the other hand, Copenhagen has nothing to lose. In fact, the team will be eager to go all guns blazing in their bid to achieve their first win in the current UCL campaign.

Spurs will adopt a 2-3-5 formation in their relentless attacks, with wing-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie working overloads to allow Richarlison to make sneaky runs behind the two Copenhagen center-backs. As seen often, Spurs will adopt a mid-block when they are out of possession. This will help trigger the team to enforce back passes for the Danish side. The team will also look to protect Copenhagen from making quick transitions via the pairing of Sarr and Palhinha.

The away side will rely on long balls and targeted balls to their attacking lineup as a direct play option to counter Spurs’ relentless mid-block and press.

Match Prediction

Betting Odds: Tottenham Hotspur (1.3), Draw (5.4), FC Copenhagen (10) via BetMGM UK

Spurs will be ready to exact revenge after their loss to archrivals over the weekend. And their latest victims could very well possibly be Copenhagen, who can face the wrath of the home side. Spurs, with their quick counters and strong defensive abilities, will likely have it easy against their Danish opponents.

We predict Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 FC Copenhagen. Spurs come into the game unbeaten and with 2 clean sheets. A depleted side like Copenhagen will likely see Spurs scoring multiple goals to cushion their precious lead.

Also Read: Slavia Prague v Arsenal Predictions: Gunners Aim to Continue Unbeaten UCL Run Against Czech Opponents

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