Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Copenhagen
Match Time & Date:
12/12/2023
21:00
Prediction: 1-1
Galatasaray
A spot in the Champions League knockout stages will be at stake when Copenhagen and Galatasaray lock horns at Parken Stadium on Tuesday evening. Copenhagen did well to hold star-studded Bayern Munich to a goalless draw at Allianz Arena in their last group game and they are surely capable of matching the Turkish champions on home soil. Diogo Goncalves is back from the domestic ban, while all Babacar, Clem, Khocholava, and Meling remain in the recovery room.
Gatalatasay, on the other hand, came from behind to share the spoils with Manchester United in Istanbul, but they face a must-win situation in the decider. Copenhagen, though, are tough to beat at home and that is the main reason why we are going to bet on draw. Defender Davinson Sanchez should be the only absentee in the visiting team. Earlier in the process the two teams played out a 2-2 draw in Turkey.
Highlighted Player (Kaan Ayhan):
The Turkish-German defender, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, started playing football in his hometown, Gelsenkirchen, for the Schalke 04 youth academy when he was only four years old, in 1999. He signed his first professional contract in January 2018, but had to wait for his debut for almost two years.
Ayhan substituted Adam Szalai in the 4-1 win against Augsburg, on 5th October 2013. His first goal for Die Königsblauen came on May 2014, in a 2-0 win against SC Freiburg. However, the 23-year-old had to look for regular game time elsewhere, so he joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a loan deal. Despite the fact that there was an option of a permanent signing of the Turkish player, Eintracht decided not to use it, since the price was too demanding.
After 17 years at Schalke, Kaan Ayhan joined Fortuna Dusseldorf on August 2016. Even though he played both for Turkey and Germany junior national teams, the center-back decided to pledge his allegiance to Turkey, recording his debut for the Turkish senior team on August 2016, under the famous Fatih Terim.
Highlighted Team (Copenhagen):
The most successful club in the history of Danish football FC Kopenhagen was founded in 1992, through the merger of 15-time Danish champions Kjobenhavns Boldklub and seven-time champions of Denmark Boldklubben 1903. Football Club Copenhagen play their matches at the Telia Parken, a venue that can host 38,000 spectators.
The Team of the City as Copenhagen is called in Denmark has won the Danish football championship eleven times, while it has also won the Danish Cup on seven occasions. The club forms great rivalry with Copenhagen’s suburban club Brondby IF with games between the two club attracting some of the biggest crowds in Danish football history in this so called New Firm derby.
Through its history F.C. Copenhagen have participated in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League, while their major European accomplishments have been achieved in the Royal League, with the Danish powerhouse winning two titles and coming as runners-up on one occasion.
