Rakow-Copenaghen is a match valid for the first leg of the Champions League qualifying playoffs and is played Tuesday at 9 p.m.: predictions.
After winning the Ekstraklasa for the first time in its history, Rakow Częstochowa is one step closer to another historic milestone: landing in the Champions League group stage. The Polish champions started very far back and that is from the first qualifying round. July had just begun when they faced their first match against Estonians Flora Tallinn, beaten 1-0 in the first leg and 3-0 in the return.
Dawid Szwarga’s men then repeated themselves against the much better-ranked Qarabag, a team with some experience at this level and therefore favored. But even the Azerbaijanis could do little against the red-and-blue formation: the first leg match, which ended in a resounding 3-2 (the return leg in Azerbaijan ended 1-1), was decisive. Rakow’s third “victim” was the Cypriots of Aris Limassol: in this case the Poles got the better of both challenges (2-1 in the first leg at home and 1-0 in the return in Cyprus). The cup commitments, however, have somewhat “distracted” Szwarga’s team, which in the first four days of the league stuttered, collecting two wins, a draw and a defeat. The head of the standings, occupied by Legia Warsaw, despite this remains only three points away.
Copenhagen is flying in the Superligaen
They played one round less Rakow’s next opponents in the group access playoff, the Danes of Copenhagen. For the Scandinavians, everything went smoothly against the Icelanders of Breidablik in the second qualifying round, while the double-header against the Czechs of Sparta Prague was decidedly more painful.
Neestrup, Copenhagen coach
It took penalty kicks to decide who should advance to the round after two draws (0-0 and 3-3): from the penalty spot Jacob Neestrup’s men did better, making it four out of four. Copenhagen’s continental goal is to do better than last year, when after knocking off Turkey’s Trabzonspor in a balanced playoff, they finished last in an iron group that also included future champions Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. The capital club is going strong in Superligaen as well, where it is on a full points lead after the first five days.
The Prediction
For what they have managed to do so far, Rakow cannot be underestimated. We believe that the Poles, despite having something less than the Danes, will give everything at home to at least avoid defeat in a match with at least one goal on each side.
The likely lineups for Rakow-Copenaghen
- RAKOW (3-4-3): Kovacevic; Racovitan, Arsenic, Rundic; Tudor, Papanikolaou, Lederman, Carlos; Drachal, Piasecki, Cebula.
- COPENAGHEN (4-3-3): Grabara; Jelert, Diks, Lund, Sorensen; Goncalves, Jensen, Lerager; Elyounoussi, Larsson, Achouri.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1