Copenhagen will look to secure their Champions League spot when they host Rakow Czestochowa on Wednesday. Rakow hopes to make their Champions League debut, while Copenhagen is looking for consecutive seasons in the elite club competition.
Preview (Copenhagen vs. Rakow Czestochowa)
It is safe to say that Copenhagen can consider themselves fortunate to have won the first leg in Poland last week. The visitors were only able to muster one shot on goal despite attempting to gain some traction in the game. The hosts had the majority of the possession and numerous chances to score. Bogdan Racovitan’s own goal in the ninth minute ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the first leg. They suffered a shocking 3-1 home loss to Silkeborg four days after the first leg. Jacob Neestrup’s team no longer has a perfect record in the Danish Superliga. They are still second in the rankings on goal differential.
The Lions began their domestic season with five straight victories, scoring 13 goals and recording two clean sheets. Their latest game saw them come crashing back to earth. Copenhagen’s Champions League qualification campaign got off to a winning start with an 8-3 overall victory. Nesstrup’s team had to battle Sparta Prague all the way, drawing 3-3 before winning on penalties. In contrast, Rakow Czestochowa, a Polish team that began its Champions League campaign in early July. They had already advanced through three qualifying rounds to reach the playoffs.
Rakow advanced to the playoff round by overcoming Cypriot club Aris Limassol and Estonian team Flora. They earned a 4-3 overall victory over Qarabag FK and a match against Copenhagen. Rakow advanced from the third tier of Polish football in 2016–17 to win the second-division championship in 2018–19. All under the direction of former manager Marek Papszun. However, Medaliki was not content to only fill up the top level.
Rakow Czestochowa won the Ekstraklasa championship for the first time last season after placing second in 2020–21 and 2021–22. The team had a record of 23 victories, six draws, and five defeats to finish nine points ahead of Legia Warsaw. Rakow and Papszun unexpectedly parted ways after winning the title. 32-year-old manager Dawid Szwarga will try to carry on the Medaliki fable by leading the team.
Team News
Akinkunmi Amoo and Khouma Babacar, who have been out with long-term injuries, remain unavailable for Copenhagen, and Elias Achouri and Davit Khocholava will also miss the second leg due to injuries. Jordan Larsson, Roony Bardghji, and Mohamed Elyounoussi, a former Southampton winger, are anticipated to continue playing in Jacob Neestrup’s preferred 4-3-3 system. Kamil Grabara, a goalkeeper from Poland, will remain in goal at the other end of the field. Denis Vavro and Kevin Diks are likely to play center-back. Dawid Szwarga is anticipated to use a 3-4-3 system for Rakow Czestochowa, which means that Bogdan Racovitan, Adnan Kovacevic, and Milan Rundic will continue to play in the backline.
Fabian Piasecki and Vladyslav Kochergin, who both scored twice in Champions League qualifying, will start in attack alongside Marcin Cebula, while Gustav Berggren and Giannis Papanikolaou will hold down the midfield. Adrian Gryszkiewicz and Ivi Lopez continue to be sidelined due to chronic knee problems, and new recruit Kamil Pestka is anticipated to miss the second leg as well. In the second leg, Rakow Czestochowa will need to give Copenhagen all they’ve got, but if they go all out, they can leave themselves vulnerable at the back. With that in mind, we can picture Copenhagen finishing the task in front of a waiting Parken throng, putting an end to Rakow’s fairytale run.
Copenhagen 3 – 1 Rakow Czestochowa
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