Copenhagen and Basel meet at Parken to decide the Champions League playoff after a 1-1 draw in Switzerland. Basel led through captain Xherdan Shaqiri's penalty, but Gabriel Pereira equalised with a back-post header before half-time and Basel finished the first leg with ten men. Copenhagen are unbeaten in ten away fixtures and advanced through qualifying, and they sit top of the Danish Superliga with four wins from six. Injuries sideline Elias Achour and Thomas Delaney. Andreas Cornelius is expected to start up front after Youssoufa Moukoko led the line in the previous match. Basel need a win to reach the group stage under new boss Ludovic Magnin.
Although Basel struck first in last week's opener - captain Xherdan Shaqiri converting from the spot after 14 minutes - Copenhagen responded for a 1-1 draw at St Jakob-Park. Gabriel Pereira's back-post header equalised just before half time, and the Swiss hosts were reduced to 10 men late on. Now unbeaten in 10 straight away fixtures, FCK have already overcome Drita and Nordic rivals Malmo in qualifying, moving them closer to Europe's elite stage.
Unlike their Danish hosts, Basel only began their Champions League journey last week, and failing to win at home could come back to haunt them. Formerly the dominant force in Swiss football, the RotBlau slipped after securing their 20th league crown in 2017, but last season's title - inspired by the returning Shaqiri - finally ended an eight-year wait. That triumph earned a route back into Europe's top competition, where new boss Ludovic Magnin is tasked with reaching the league phase.
Collection
[
|
...
]