Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Man City
Match Time & Date:
06/03/2024
21:00
Prediction: 3-0
Copenhagen
Manchester City will be aiming to extend their winning run in all competitions to five games when they welcome Copenhagen to their Etihad Stadium in the Champions League last 16, return leg. The Citizens are with one foot in the quarter-finals as they won the first leg 3-1, but they surely want to give fans yet another reason to celebrate. Julian Alvarez is pushing for a start after coming as a substitute in the Manchester derby, while Jack Grealish remains the only absentee in Pep Guardiola’s team.
The Danes, on the other hand, face an uphill task in the second leg and given their under-par performance in a 2-0 loss to Midtjylland, we predict that the reigning champions are going to emerge triumphant in Wednesday’s clash without any difficulties. The likes of Davit Khocholava, Lukas Lerager, and Theo Sander are out of contention with injuries for the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Nathan Ake):
Ake is a professional footballer who plays for the Dutch National Team and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The versatile defender who was born on the 18th of February, 1995, started his youth career in 2003 with local club ADO Den Haag. He then moved to Feyenoord in 2007 before joining Chelsea's youth academy four years later.
Ake made his first professional appearance at the age of 17, playing for the Blues in a 0-1 away victory against Norwich on the 26th of December, 2012. Barring a few starts and substitute appearances, Ake spent his next few years at Chelsea mostly in the reserves before being sent out on a one month loan to Reading in 2015. Upon his return, he immediately joined Watford on a season-long loan where his displays earned him the Watford's young player of the season award. Another successful loan spell at Bournemouth succeeded his time at Watford before Chelsea recalled him in January 2017.
At the start of the 17/18 season, the 24-year-old rejoined his current club Bournemouth permanently on a five-year contract worth 20 million pounds. On the International stage, Ake has represented the Netherlands at every youth level and has even captained the under-17 and under-19 sides. He made his first senior appearance on the 31st of May, 2017, featuring in Hollands 2-1 friendly win over Morocco.
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.
