Copenhagen vs Manchester City prediction, odds and betting tips

The Champions League is back with Manchester City ready to resume the defence of their trophy.

Find the latest match odds for Copenhagen vs Manchester City. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

• Manchester City to win to nil - 10/11 with bet365
• Manchester City to score in both halves - 5/6 with bet365
• Erling Haaland to score first - 21/10 with bet365

After a 2-0 victory over Everton at the weekend, Manchester City have won 10 games on the bounce. Pep Guardiola’s side seem to be coming good just as the business end of the season approaches.

There is still a long way to go, of course. Guardiola insists he is “99.9 per cent certain” that his team will not win the treble for the second season on the bounce. It will indeed be very difficult for the holders to triumph in each of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League once again.

City are not even top of the Premier League, for instance, while Liverpool and Arsenal both look stronger than last term. In Europe, the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and the Gunners will all be eyeing the prize.

But it is only right that City are considered favourites, not just because they are the holders but also because they still have the strongest side in Europe. Perhaps only Madrid could argue otherwise.

Even while Guardiola’s team were dropping points domestically in the first half of the campaign, their Champions League form was imperious. Six wins from six saw City safely through to the knockout rounds with a minimum of fuss.

With all due respect to Copenhagen, the draw for the last 16 could hardly have been kinder. The Danish team did brilliantly to qualify ahead of Galatasaray and Manchester United, but they did only win two games in Group A.

Copenhagen will draw belief from the fact they held City to a 0-0 draw at Parken last season, but that outcome was heavily influenced by Sergio Gomez’s red card in the 30th minute.

Provided they can keep 11 men on the field this time around, City can take a healthy first-leg advantage back to the Etihad Stadium.

Copenhagen did well to reach the round of 16, but Manchester City will surely prove too strong in both legs.

Manchester City have never won a European game in Denmark, but that barren run will surely come to an end on Tuesday.

The gulf in class between the two teams does not require much in the way of thorough examination. Copenhagen, meanwhile, are only third in the Danish league right now.

Another factor in City’s favour is that their upcoming opponents have not played a competitive game since early December, on account of the lengthy winter break in Denmark.

Optimists within the Copenhagen camp might argue that the freshness will do them good, but it is likelier that the hosts will be lacking match sharpness despite their participation in a mid-season competition, the Atlantic Cup, in recent days. 

City kept their first Premier League clean sheet in four games against Everton on Saturday. They have a full complement of defenders available again, so do not rule out another shut-out in this one.

Everton did a good job of holding Manchester City at arm’s length in the first half of their meeting last time out, before the champions eventually made the breakthrough in the 71st minute. Needless to say, Guardiola will want to see his side make a quicker start on Tuesday.

Before the Everton encounter, City had scored in both halves in three Premier League games in a row, as well as in a 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.

There is a reasonably strong chance of them doing so again here. Copenhagen did indeed outperform expectations in the group stage, but this is a side that sits third in the Danish league at the time of writing.

City have Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne - their two best attacking players - fit and firing again. The likes of Jeremy Doku, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden provide their own firepower. Copenhagen’s backline will have its hands full throughout Tuesday’s tussle.

Haaland notched a brace against Everton to announce his return to scoring ways in style. Largely due to injury, the Norway international’s previous goal came against RB Leipzig in late November. 

It goes without saying that City are a stronger side with Haaland in it. Their chances of winning any trophy, but particularly a knockout tournament like the Champions League, are better when the former Borussia Dortmund man is fit.

Haaland has broken the deadlock on six occasions in all competitions this season, and many of City’s chances will inevitably fall to their centre-forward.

Those concerned that Haaland could be rested should remember that the Norwegian tends to start whenever he is fit. Guardiola will also be keen for him to get more minutes under his belt after his recent absence.

• Location: Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Date and time: Tuesday 13 February 2024, 8pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 1.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.