Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
by Alex Lawes ·
Updated
Copenhagen have to be viewed as one of the minnows of the league phase as the Danish champions welcome a changing Bayer Leverkusen side to the Parken Stadion.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – CBS Sports
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Copenhagen preview: Back in the UCL
Copenhagen come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Brondby in the Danish Superliga at the weekend. That was their second defeat of the domestic campaign, sitting a point and a place behind league leaders AGF in Denmark.
The home team managed to get themselves into the league phase by defeating Swiss giants Basel in the playoffs last month. Copenhagen did manage to reach the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League back in the 2023/24 campaign.
Bayer Leverkusen preview: Hjulmand’s return to Copenhagen
At the start of this season, Bayer Leverkusen started very poorly and he was replaced by former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, with Copenhagen’s Parken Stadion the home ground of the Danes and so representing an early return to his home country.
In his first game in charge at the weekend, Leverkusen produced an impressive performance to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt by three goals to one at the BayArena, despite going down to nine men in that match.
Copenhagen team news: Mattsson out
Copenhagen have a few selection dilemmas due to injury issues for this one, with the biggest being that attacking midfielder Magnus Mattsson is sidelined for the hosts.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Kotarski; Huescas, Pereira, Hatzidiakos, Lopez; Larsson, Lerager, Clem, Achouri; Moukoko, Elyounoussi
Unavailable: Hojer (Injured), Moalem (Injured), Mattsson (Injured)
Questionable:
Bayer Leverkusen team news: Several doubts
As they make the trip to the Danish capital city, Leverkusen have a few injury doubts for this one, whilst Argentina international midfielder Exequiel Palacios is also potentially unavailable.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Quansah, Bade, Tapsoba; Vazquez, Andrich, Fernandez, Grimaldo; Tella, Tillman; Schick
Unavailable: Palacios (Injured)
Questionable: Belocian (Injured), Hofmann (Injured), Arthur (Injured), Terrier (Injured)
Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
Copenhagen are perhaps fortunate to have qualified for the league phase, courtesy of a reasonably soft draw as they defeated a Basel side that, like themselves, are some way off being the menace they were about a decade and a half ago. Leverkusen will simply be seeking to build up some momentum in Denmark this week and the so-called ‘new manager bounce’ brought about by the appointment of Kasper Hjulmand may well have been well-timed for the Germans in this competition.
Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen Tip: Bayer Leverkusen to win
