Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League Qualifying match.
A week ago, Copenhagen and Basel played out a fiercely contested first leg in Switzerland (1:1). The return fixture in the Danish capital promises a similar scenario: neither side will give an inch, and while the bookmakers have made Copenhagen slight favourites, that edge looks more symbolic than decisive.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen go into this tie with notable absentees. German Onugkha, Thomas Delaney and Elias Achouri are all sidelined, limiting Jacob Neestrup’s options from the bench. In Basel, the Danes pressed well in the second half — a disallowed Andreas Cornelius strike from VAR review being the talking point — and still managed to carve out 1.07 expected goals. At the weekend, however, they were held 1:1 by Odense, once again second-best in attacking play (1.04-1.26 in xG).
Basel
Basel, meanwhile, also have selection concerns with Albian Ajeti suspended. Without Xherdan Shaqiri’s penalty, the Swiss side created just 0.61 xG from open play in the first leg. Manager Ludovic Magnin gave his players the weekend off in domestic competition to focus fully on this qualifier, underlining how vital progression — and the financial boost that comes with the group stage — is for the club.
Copenhagen vs Basel Prediction
Given the cautious approach and attacking limitations shown by both sides, another low-scoring contest looks the most likely outcome.
