Champions League: Manchester City vs Copenhagen
Champions League knockout round 1 8 legs, Manchester City took the lead 3-1 in the first leg, and the whole game crushed Copenhagen in possession time, shots on goal, pass success rate and various advanced statistics, and it was still an away game, which may be easier than playing in the Premier League. However, when Manchester City return home with a two-goal advantage, their form may all change, and even the players may not be the same.
Manchester City's current team is in good overall condition, and it is not a big problem to win Copenhagen in this game from the perspective of strength and image, but the key thing is that Manchester City scored a few goals in this game, which is also a matter of concern to everyone. After all, in addition to Haaland, Foden and Alvarez are all likely to brush goals to the top of the list. However, it is worth noting that Manchester City have a very tight schedule in March, with a derby at the beginning of the month, and after this round of the Champions League, the team will also face Liverpool for the leaders at the weekend, which is also a crucial game, which can be said to be a three-point six-point game. Therefore, under the premise that Manchester City has the advantage in the first leg, Guardiola is very likely to rotate the squad to ensure that the league title is contested.
Copenhagen, as the defending champion of the Danish Super League, has a certain fighting power and historical background, and after losing the first leg, they returned to the league with two consecutive wins, and Copenhagen performed well in the league. However, in the past two away games in the Champions League, Copenhagen have played against Manchester United and Bayern Munich respectively, and they have not achieved anything in attack, and the offensive and defensive problems are obvious. The first leg away to Manchester City conceded two goals in a single game, with Copenhagen having just 25 per cent of possession at home in the previous leg. Compared to Manchester City, it is simply the strength that crushes everything. If they fight again in this round, they won't have any extravagant expectations. Therefore, Copenhagen will not fight Manchester City to play against them, and objectively, even if they want to play like this, they will not have a chance, after all, most of the possession is in the hands of the opponent. Therefore, it is the right way to make sure that you don't concede the ball first, and then wait for the opportunity to counterattack.
In the first leg between the two sides, Manchester City defeated the opponent away, and the difference in strength between the two sides is still relatively obvious. Considering the current form of the two teams and the late fixtures, I don't think it will be a big problem for Manchester City to win the game at home, but it will still be difficult to break down the defence, and Copenhagen may not suffer a heavy defeat.