Former midfielder Paul Scholes believes that Manchester United faces a tough challenge in defeating Copenhagen in the fourth round of Group A in the Champions League.
If Galatasaray doesn’t win against Bayern, and Manchester United beats Copenhagen, the “Red Devils” will move up to second place in Group A and have the opportunity to secure their advancement. However, witnessing the current form of the team, Scholes doesn’t think it will be that easy. He stated, “Manchester United was very fortunate to win against Copenhagen at Old Trafford, so they will face many difficulties playing away in Denmark. The home team can create tremendous pressure, and Manchester United might crumble.”
In the previous match, Manchester United needed a goal from center-back Harry Maguire and a penalty save by goalkeeper Andre Onana to secure a 1-0 victory against Copenhagen. Despite being the higher-rated team and playing at home, the “Red Devils” had fewer shots on target. Today, Copenhagen will return to play at Parken Stadium, where they have just won three consecutive matches.
If Galatasaray defeats Bayern and Manchester United fails to secure all three points against Copenhagen, the chances of advancement for Erik ten Hag’s team will be very slim. “If I were to bet, I don’t think Manchester United will progress from the group stage,” Scholes added. “Copenhagen may not be powerful, but they are well-organized. But if they win, Manchester United will have a better chance of advancing.”
According to Opta’s predictions, Manchester United has a 54% chance of defeating Copenhagen, a 23% chance of a draw, and a 21% chance of losing. Their chances of advancing are approximately 46.85%, nearly the same as Galatasaray at 46.73%, while Copenhagen has only a 6.51% chance. Bayern, with three consecutive wins, has a staggering 99.91% chance of progressing.
The last time Manchester United was eliminated in the group stage was in the 2020-2021 season under Ole Gunnar Solskjær when they finished behind PSG and Leipzig. They had to compete in the Europa League and reached the final but lost to Villarreal in a penalty shootout.
Copenhagen is the most historically successful club in Denmark, with 15 national championships, despite being founded in 1992. Their best European performance was reaching the Round of 16 in the 2010-2011 Champions League season, but Chelsea defeated them.
