Tuesday 19/08/2014, 20:45, Champions League Qualifiers, Copenhagen vs Leverkusen

Copenhagen vs Leverkusen Preview

Few expected Copenhagen to lose both championship games, despite the fact that they had home pitch advantage in both of them. The visitors scored a combined five goals which doesn't bode well ahead of the first leg of the Champions League Qualifiers. They will be facing Leverkusen, a team that is at the opposite end of form, with four consecutive victories and 12 goals scored over the span.

Copenhagen vs Leverkusen Odds

At Totepool

Copenhagen 4.50, Draw 3.80, Leverkusen 1.75

Copenhagen vs Leverkusen Tips

This is not the first time that Copenhagen is credited with the second chance despite the fact that it plays in front of its fans. Two weeks ago, they played against the Ukrainian's from Dnipro and they managed to beat the odds by winning the match and advancing to the next round. It goes without saying that manager Solbakken will stick to the same starting formation, in an attempt of replicating that performance.

Cornelius and Kadri will be paired upfront, after both of them scored against Dnipro. The former also scored in the final minutes of overtime over the weekend. The biggest problem for Copenhagen is that they tend to allow a bunch of early goals and they find themselves fighting an uphill battle.

Allowing Leverkusen to get ahead would be a big mistake, because the German side has the reputation of scoring a bucket full of goals when given the initiative. The hosts need to play defensive football in the first half and focus on denying the visitors a chance to score. A scoreless draw in Copenhagen wouldn't hurt their chances and will leave everything to be decided one week from now in Germany.

Leverkusen played a total of nine friendly games and they picked their opponents wisely, competing mostly against mediocre teams. It comes as no surprise that they won on 8 occasions and the only defeat came at the hands of Marseille, who scored four goals. Overall, their positive run goes back five months, with the Germans losing this single match in the last 15 rounds.

Key Facts

• Kiessling is the player to watch for tonight, after he scored five times in the German cup fixture last week.
• Copenhagen drew four consecutive games, and won against Dnipro before losing twice in the Danish Super League

Copenhagen vs Leverkusen Prediction

Copenhagen did it before and even though they are pit against a better opponent tonight, the Danes shouldn't be underestimated. What they need is to avoid defeat and this is exactly what punters should be betting on, as long as Totepool offers even odds for the hosts to win or draw the match.

Bet: Copenhagen or Draw @ 2.00 with Totepool