Preview:Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from a difficult weekend, both FC Copenhagen and Borussia Dortmund will be looking for a return to winning ways when they meet this Tuesday night in a tasty Champions League clash.

The Danes are yet to taste victory in the league phase of the competition, while Dortmund have already bagged eight goals in two games and will be looking to cause more damage away at the Parken Stadium.

Match preview

A flurry of recent injuries and a subsequent drop in form have caused Copenhagen to fall down the Danish Superliga table, leaving the Lions in fourth and a mighty six points behind current league leaders Aarhus.

Jacob Neestrup and his men suffered their latest disappointment on Friday night, losing 3-1 away against a struggling Silkeborg side – a game which saw Copenhagen concede all three goals inside a horror 14-minute spell.

The defending Danish champions are now winless in three, last tasting victory almost a month ago away against Sonderjyske – also the last time that Copenhagen managed to score two goals in a single game.

With just two wins from eight games across all competitions, there is a little bit of pressure beginning to build on Neestrup’s shoulders.

The Danish outfit are also chasing their first win in the league phase of the Champions League after picking up one point from their two matches in the competition.

Copenhagen’s sole point came in a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in mid-September, and the Danes will be hoping for yet another encouraging display against Bundesliga opposition.

When it comes to Dortmund, the Black and Yellows will be determined to bounce back from a painful 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Bayern Munich in Saturday’s Der Klassiker.

The result not only ended Dortmund’s nine-match unbeaten start to the season, but it has also dealt a significant blow to their title aspirations, with Niko Kovac and his men already trailing the league leaders by seven points.

On a more positive note, Dortmund have made a good start to their Champions League campaign, drawing 4-4 with Juventus in a thrilling encounter in Turin before beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at home.

No team in the competition has scored more goals than the Black and Yellows, and the German outfit will now be looking to boost their numbers even further, as they prepare to take on a struggling Copenhagen outfit.

Dortmund have won three of their last four against the Danish giants, though their last meeting three years ago ended in a 1-1 draw.

Copenhagen Champions League form:

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Copenhagen form (all competitions):

D W W L D L

Borussia Dortmund Champions League form:

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Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

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Team News

As previously mentioned, Copenhagen have a series of injury problems as they head into Tuesday’s Champions League encounter with Dortmund.

In particular, the Danes are missing a couple of their most experienced heads, with Andreas Cornelius and Thomas Delaney both being sidelined with injuries.

Mexican defender Rodrigo Huescas has missed the last two games with a knee problem and will remain on the injury list, as will midfielder Magnus Mattsson, who has also experienced issues with his knee.

Forward Mohamed Elyounoussi missed the game with Silkeborg on Friday, but he is expected to return to the team as he looks to end his four-match goalless run.

The big omission for Borussia Dortmund is experienced operator Emre Can, who continues his recovery from a groin problem.

Julian Brandt came off the bench to score against Bayern at the weekend, marking the second time in three games where he rattled the net after coming on as a substitute. The German will be pushing for a start on Tuesday.

Serhou Guirassy is expected to lead the attack, having made three goal contributions in his two Champions League appearances this season.

Copenhagen possible starting lineup:

Kotarski; Lopez, Hatzidiakos, Gabriel Pereira, Suzuki; Robert, Madsen, Lerager, Larsson; Elyounoussi, Claesson

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Bensebaini, Schlotterbeck, Anton; Svensson, Nmecha, Sabitzer, Ryerson; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy

We say: Copenhagen 1-4 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund came up short against a superb Bayern Munich side over the weekend, but the German side should prove way too strong for Copenhagen on Tuesday.

The Danish outfit are struggling with injuries, and they have already shown serious defensive vulnerabilities at the domestic level. With that in mind, we are backing an emphatic away win.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.