Manchester City Versus Copenhagen: Historical Encounters And Head-To-Head Statistics
In their quest to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, defending champions Manchester City host Copenhagen at the Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday night.
The Citizens come into this match fresh off a crucial 3-1 comeback victory against rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, with man-of-the-match Phil Foden scoring two second-half goals and Erling Haaland adding a late strike.
Pep Guardiola’s team now shifts their focus back to the Champions League as they aim to complete the job against Copenhagen, who suffered a 2-0 defeat to Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga last Friday.
Manchester City are widely expected to emerge as favorites in their sixth meeting with Copenhagen, and here, Sports Mole examines the head-to-head record and previous encounters between the two clubs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Previous meetings: 5
Manchester City wins: 3
Draws: 2
Copenhagen wins: 0
Making just their second appearance in European competition since 1978-79, Manchester City were rewarded for advancing from the 2008-09 UEFA Cup group stage with a last-32 matchup against Copenhagen.
The initial encounter marked the first-ever meeting between the two sides, with Manchester City settling for a 2-2 draw in Denmark. Goals from Nedum Onuoha and Stephen Ireland came on either side of halftime, and although it seemed the Citizens would secure a narrow victory, Martin Vingard’s 91st-minute equalizer salvaged a draw for Copenhagen.
A week later, Mark Hughes’s team exacted revenge with a 2-1 triumph at the Etihad Stadium, advancing 4-3 on aggregate to the last 16. Manchester City faced frustration in the first half, with Robinho and Craig Bellamy both hitting the woodwork, but Bellamy found the net twice late in the second half before Vingard scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.
The next encounter between Manchester City and Copenhagen occurred 13 years later, this time in the group stage of last season’s Champions League. Manchester City secured a resounding 5-0 victory on home turf, followed by a goalless draw in Scandinavia six days later.
Following victories over Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, Guardiola’s team delivered a dominant performance against Copenhagen on matchday three, securing a comprehensive five-star victory. Summer signing Haaland scored twice within the first 32 minutes, and an own goal from Davit Khocholava extended the lead for the hosts. Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez then added to the tally after halftime, putting City on the brink of qualification for the last 16.
Although Manchester City hoped to secure their place in the knockout rounds in style, they were held to a 0-0 draw with 10 men in the away fixture against Copenhagen. In a lively first half-hour, Rodri had a 25-yard strike controversially disallowed due to a perceived handball from Mahrez in the build-up. Mahrez later had a penalty saved by Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, and Sergio Gomez was subsequently sent off for a last-man foul.
Nevertheless, Manchester City earned the solitary point they needed to secure a top-two finish in Group G. The team eventually topped the group and went on to celebrate their first-ever Champions League victory, completing a historic treble alongside winning the Premier League title and FA Cup in the memorable 2022-23 campaign.
When Copenhagen hosted the European and world champions at Parken Stadium three weeks ago for the first leg of their last-16 tie, debutant Magnus Mattsson equalized Kevin De Bruyne’s opener with a superb first-time strike in the first half. However, Bernardo Silva restored the visitors’ lead just before halftime, and Foden scored a crucial third goal in second-half stoppage time, giving Manchester City a 3-1 advantage heading into Wednesday’s second leg at the Etihad.
Last five meetings:
Feb 13, 2024: Copenhagen 1-3 Man City (Champions League)
Oct 11, 2022: Copenhagen 0-0 Man City (Champions League)
Oct 5, 2022: Man City 5-0 Copenhagen (Champions League)
Feb 26, 2009: Man City 2-1 Copenhagen (UEFA Cup)
Feb 19, 2009: Copenhagen 2-2 Man City (UEFA Cup)
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