Copenhagen vs Manchester City Prediction 13.02.2024

• Competition: UEFA Champions League - last 16 1st leg
• Date: Tuesday, 13rd, February 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21.00 CET
• Venue: Parken Stadium (Copenhagen)

As the Champions League gates swing open for the knockout stages, Danish giants Copenhagen will clash swords with the reigning trophy-holders Manchester City in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at Parken Stadium.

Despite being written off by many and labeled as underdogs of Group A, Copenhagen pulled off a remarkable feat on the biggest club stage in Europe this edition, silencing the skeptics who doubted their courage. As expected, Bayern Munich strolled through the group stage with minimal effort, leaving only one ticket remaining for the last passenger in the knockout phase, a spot claimed by the Danish Lions who edged out Galatasaray with a narrow 1-0 victory in a winner-takes-all clash, courtesy of a goal from Lukas Lerager, catapulting their team to second in the section ahead of the Turkish giants and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Man City, the reigning rulers of Europe, cruised through the first phase of the competition unmolested, demonstrating their serious intentions to defend the "Big-Ears" trophy. Indeed, Pep Guardiola's men were relentless in their section that included RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Crvena Zvezda to, like record Champions League winners Real Madrid, nonchalantly stroll into the last 16 by collecting maximum points from the opening six group games. More impressively, the Citizens have set a new club record by stringing together the longest streak of success in the Champions League, as their thrilling 3-2 victory over the Red-Whites from Belgrade on the final matchday of Group G marked their eighth consecutive win.

Copenhagen vs Manchester City Betting Tips: AH2 (-1.5)

Definitely, this is the most unbalanced pairing in the round of 16 of the strongest club competition on the continent, and the defender of the "big ears" trophy Man City should prove their supremacy and completely crush any hopes of the Danish champion already in the first leg. Facing a lack of competitive fixtures could pose a huge problem for the Danish titan, who last played an official match back in mid-December, but there's no doubt they'll be encouraged by the fact that they managed to hold last year's champions, Man City, to draws on both occasions at Parker Stadium - they secured a 2-2 draw in the last-16 clash of the Europa League in 2009, while two years ago, they played out a scoreless tie (0-0) in the Champions League group stage. 

Despite the Lions having thunderous support from the stands, the chances of them shaking the current champions of Europe for the third consecutive time are quite slim, especially considering the drastic dip in their form just before the winter break, with three winless outings in the top-flight (D1, L2), leading to a slide to third place on the table. Furthermore, supporters at the Parken Stadium won't be thrilled as Pep Guardiola's men have rediscovered their killer instinct once again and are tearing through everything in their path, constructing a formidable winning streak of 10 games in all competitions thanks to a routine 2-0 drubbing of Everton over the weekend. 

Attacking prowess from the Citizens, spearheaded by the ruthless Norwegian goal-machine Erling Haaland, is particularly pronounced on their travels, as they've slotted exactly three balls past opposing goalkeepers in five out of their last six competitive away matches. Currently, last year's treble-winner Manchester City appears as an unstoppable force, sending their rivals to their knees, and we anticipate that Copenhagen will feel the attacking might of Guardiola's side, so anything but a routine victory for the visitors would be a genuine surprise.