This pairing seems to be one of the most predictable in the last 16 of the current Champions League draw – the current trophy holder and the most likely winner this season against a team that many consider redundant at this stage.
The first game, away, the Mancunians confidently won with a score of 3:1, but let’s not forget that in football there is always room for a sensation.
If you like sports betting, visit Mostbet kirish, we will try to analyze the disposition in detail before the return match, scheduled for March 6, 2024.
Manchester City’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
“Blue Moon” is the same club that in recent years has, perhaps, the fullest right to be called the most important hegemon of world football.
In a sense, it received two direct tickets to the current Champions League – both as the current champion of England and as the winner of this very Champions League.
With such regalia, you can not be afraid of any draw, and Manchester City is also lucky with it: if the German Red Bull can be considered a worthy opponent, then the Swiss Young Boys and the Serbian Red Star are random guests in the Champions League, nothing more.
It is not surprising that the Citizens won all six matches in the quartet. The goal difference of 18:7 indicates an imperfect defense (more than one goal conceded per game), but the attack works like clockwork – on average they conceded three goals to the opponents.
Winning the quartet takes the team to the opponent, who failed to win his group.
This does not always mean an easy draw, but the Mancunians faced perhaps the easiest opponent of this playoffs.
Copenhagen’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
The Danish Super League is only the fourteenth strongest championship in the Old World, which is why clubs from this country do not have direct tickets to the main European tournament.
Considering that qualifying for the Champions League is also quite tough, the Danish champion in the group stage is an irregular phenomenon.
The Danes’ path to the Champions League began at the end of July – from the second round of qualification.
Having successively defeated Icelandic Breidablik, Czech Sparta and Polish Rakow, Copenhagen found itself in Group A – with Bayern, Galatasaray and Manchester United. On paper, third place and relegation to the League of Legends looked like the ceiling, but the Danes, having scored only 8 points, managed to become second.
The list of their achievements:
- Victory in the home shootout with Manchester United – 4:3 in the fourth round;
- A 2:2 away draw with Galatasaray in the first round and a 1:0 home victory over them;
- An honorable goalless draw in the penultimate round with Bayern.
Manchester United is not impressive at all right now, and Galatasaray squandered all chances of success just in the head-to-head confrontation with Copenhagen.
As a result, the Danes, with a goal difference of 8:8 and a very modest number of points, according to the tournament rules, should have gone to the winner of the quartet.
This is where the luck ran out – other Manchester residents look much more dangerous than their unlucky fellow countrymen.
Odds for the match Manchester City – Copenhagen
The Mancunians look like a pretty busy team – they continue to defend the title in the FA Cup, where modest Luton awaits them in the 1/8, and in the Premier League they cannot break into a stable first place due to the persistence of their pursuers Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal.
But City confidently won the first match against Copenhagen – that is, they can afford to experiment with the squad without much risk to their league championship prospects.
In the end, such a club can try to beat the Danes even with a frankly second team.
Copenhagen also had to defend the title of Cup winner, but the capital’s team did not cope – in December they could not defeat Silkeborg in the quarterfinals.
In the championship, the task of getting into the championship group (the top half of the regular season table) has already been virtually solved, and this is a plus – at the time of the “return” with Man City there will be no immediate tournament tasks.
However, there is no point in wasting points too much, because Midtjylland and Brøndby are still fighting for the trophy, and the Lions have no advantage over them.
However, it seems that in the Champions League the fight will only be about dignity.
Bookmakers generally do not believe that the Danes will show themselves in the return match:
- 1.18 for the triumph of Manchester City – despite the fact that the owners do not desperately need it;
- 8.7 for a draw, which also suits the Citizens;
- As much as 15.0 for the guests to win – which, if it is minimal, will still not be enough.
In a word, probably only avid fans of Guardiola’s team will be watching this game.
A sensation is possible only if the Mancunians really decide to try out the second lineup. Betting is probably best placed on the correct score or statistics, but not on the outcome.
