Manchester United vs Copenhagen match facts

Manchester United meet Copenhagen at Old Trafford with both sides needing to kick-start their respective campaigns in UEFA Champions League Group A.

The home side are yet to get off the mark in the section and trail second-placed Galatasaray by four points having lost 3-2 at home to the Turkish side on Matchday 2. United had been beaten 4-3 in their opening fixture at Bayern, who were 2-1 winners in Copenhagen last time out; the Danish champions had let slip a late two-goal lead to draw 2-2 in Istanbul in the first round of matches.

Previous meetings 

United beat Copenhagen in the one-off UEFA Europa League quarter-final in Cologne, although it took extra time to finally divide the sides, Bruno Fernandes scoring the only goal from the penalty spot in the 95th minute.

The clubs' only other meetings came in the 2006/07 Champions League. United won 3-0 at Old Trafford, Paul Scholes opening the scoring, before a fortnight later Copenhagen, who were in the group stage for the first time, claimed their first victory thanks to Marcus Allbäck's 73rd-minute winner. United ended up topping the group and went on to reach the semi-finals, while Copenhagen finished fourth with seven points.

Form guide

Manchester United

Record vs Danish clubs: W6 D1 L2 F26 A8
Home record vs Danish clubs: W3 D1 L0

That 2020 tie against Copenhagen is United's last against a Danish club.

United's most recent encounters before that tie came against Midtjylland in the 2015/16 Europa League round of 32. They recovered from a 2-1 first-leg loss in Denmark to win 5-1 in Manchester, Marcus Rashford supplying two of the goals on his European debut.

That made it three wins from their four home matches against Danish visitors for United, who scored 15 goals in those four games and conceded only three – two of them in the sole game they failed to win, a 2-2 draw against Aalborg in the 2008/09 Champions League group stage.

This is United's 25th appearance in the Champions League group stage – more than any other English side and three behind the competition record of 28 held jointly by Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Red Devils last featured in 2021/22, when they finished first in their section ahead of Villarreal, Atalanta and Young Boys only to lose 2-1 on aggregate to Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16 (1-1 a, 0-1 h).

Erik ten Hag's team took part in the UEFA Europa League in 2022/23, finishing second in their section behind Real Sociedad and then beating Barcelona (2-2 a, 2-1 h) and Real Betis (4-1 h, 1-0 a) only to be eliminated in the quarter-finals by another Spanish side, eventual winners Sevilla (2-2 h, 0-3 a).

United won four of their six home games in last season's Europa League (D1 L1); the defeat by Galatasaray was their fourth in their last 23 European matches at Old Trafford, winning 15.

However, that loss on Matchday 2 made it five defeats in United's last ten home Champions League games; they have been beaten in seven of the last 14 in the competition at Old Trafford (W6 D1).

European champions in 1968 – winning at Wembley, the venue for this season's final – 1999 and 2008, United were also Champions League runners-up to Barcelona in both 2009 and 2011, the latter final also held at Wembley.

The Manchester club were third in the Premier League in 2022/23, 14 points behind champions Manchester City, who also beat their local rivals 2-1 in the FA Cup final.

Copenhagen

Record vs English clubs: W1 D5 L7 F5 A18
Away record vs English clubs: W0 D2 L4

The Danish side were in the same Champions League section as United's neighbours Manchester City last season, holding the eventual champions to a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen on Matchday 4 having gone down 5-0 in Manchester a week earlier.

That made it six games without a goal against Premier League clubs.

That 2006 success against United is Copenhagen's sole victory in 13 competitive matches against English clubs – and one of only four matches in which they scored.

Copenhagen are in the group stage for the sixth time, having made their first appearance since 2016/17 last season. No other Danish side has featured more than twice.

The Danish club finished fourth in their section for the third time in their five group campaigns in 2022/23, failing to win a game in Group G. They did, however, draw all three home matches, losing all three away including that 5-0 reverse at Manchester City that equalled their biggest European defeat.

Four of Copenhagen's five campaigns in the Champions League proper have ended in the group stage, the exception 2010/11 when they lost to Chelsea in the round of 16 (0-2 h, 0-0 a).

The Danish champions eased past Breidablik of Iceland in their first European tie this season in the second qualifying round (2-0 a, 6-3 h), but had to come through a tight third qualifying round contest against Sparta Praha, the first leg at Parken finishing scoreless before a 3-3 draw in Prague in which both teams scored twice in extra time, Copenhagen eventually prevailing 4-2 on penalties. They then edged past Polish champions Raków Częstochowa in the play-offs (1-0 a, 1-1 h).

The wins against Breidablik and in the first leg against Raków are Copenhagen's only victories in their last 14 European games (D7 L4), the respective first-leg successes their only away wins in nine matches (D4 L3).

A 2-0 win at Club Brugge on Matchday 6 in 2016/17 is Copenhagen's only victory in their last 13 away Champions League matches, group stage to final (D3 L9).

Copenhagen claimed their record-equalling 15th Danish league title, all since 1993, and their fifth in eight seasons in 2022/23. They also lifted the Danish Cup to win a sixth domestic double.

Links and trivia

Born in Copenhagen, Rasmus Højlund came through the ranks at his hometown club, making his first-team debut aged 17 in October 2020. He went on to score five goals – all in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League – in 32 appearances in all competitions before signing for Austrian side Sturm Graz in January 2022.

United's midfielder Christian Eriksen is a Denmark team-mate of Andreas Cornelius, Rasmus Falk, Nicolai Boilesen and Peter Ankersen.

Have played together:
Victor Lindelöf & Diogo Gonçalves (Benfica B 2014/15)
Christian Eriksen & Nicolai Boilesen (Ajax 2010–13)

Latest news

Manchester United

On Saturday Sir Bobby Charlton passed away at the age of 86. United's former record appearance maker, with 758 games, and top scorer on 249 goals, he signed for United in 1953 aged 15 and went on to win three English league titles, the FA Cup and, in 1968, the European Cup, scoring twice in the final win against Benfica at Wembley as the Red Devils became the first English club to lift the trophy.

Two years earlier, Charlton had played a key role as England won the FIFA World Cup on home soil, scoring both goals in the semi-final victory against Portugal. In total he won 106 caps for his country and scored 49 goals, both national records at the time.

On Saturday United won 2-1 at Sheffield United, Scott McTominay making it three goals in his last two Premier League matches with Diogo Dalot scoring the winner, his first goal of the season.

That was the first time the Manchester club have won successive Premier League away games since December.

McTominay is United's top scorer in this season's Premier League on three goals.

United avoided a third successive defeat in all competitions when two added-time goals from McTominay – who had come on as an 87th-minute substitute – snatched a 2-1 win against Brentford at Old Trafford on 7 October. It was the latest United have ever trailed in a Premier League match that they came back to win.

Erik ten Hag's side have lost four of their first nine Premier League games, winning the other five.

United have won six matches in 2023/24, losing the other six including five of the last nine.

The Red Devils ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions with a 1-0 win at Burnley on 23 September.

Bruno Fernandes' strike at Burnley was voted the Premier League goal of the month for September.

United lost three of their first five league matches for the first time since 1989/90 and before keeping a clean sheet at Burnley had conceded at least twice in four successive Premier League games, equalling United's longest run in the competition from 2001.

United's 19 goals this season have been scored by 11 different players.

Casemiro is the team's leading scorer in all competitions in 2023/24 with four goals, one more than Rasmus Højlund. McTominay has three Premier League goals, one more than Fernandes – no other player has scored more than once.

The Red Devils reached the last 16 of the English League Cup with a 3-0 defeat of Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on 26 September, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Martial both scoring their first goals of the season and Casemiro his fourth.

United will be at home to Newcastle in the fourth round on 1 November.

On 13 October Fernandes set up two goals as Portugal beat Slovakia 3-2 to seal their place at UEFA EURO 2024; Dalot also played 90 minutes. Three days later, Fernandes provided another assist and scored himself in a 5-0 victory away to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Christian Eriksen and Højlund both set up a goal as Denmark beat Kazakhstan 3-1 at Copenhagen's Parken on 14 October.

Marcus Rashford's goal helped England wrap up qualification for EURO 2024 with a 3-1 defeat of holders Italy at Wembley on 17 October, Harry Maguire also playing 90 minutes.

The same night, Højlund scored Denmark's first goal in a 2-1 home win in San Marino in which Eriksen also started.

Casemiro sat out United's weekend win having picked up an ankle injury on international duty.

Raphaël Varane returned as a late substitute on Saturday having not played since Matchday 2.

Lisandro Martínez was out between 3 and 16 September with an ankle problem and has not played since Matchday 1 due to a foot injury that United confirmed on 29 September will keep him on the sidelines for "an extended period".

Sergio Reguilón has missed United's last five games with a hamstring strain.

Luke Shaw (muscle) has not played since a 2-0 loss at Tottenham on 19 August.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been out since picking up a hamstring injury as a late substitute in a 3-1 home defeat by Brighton on 16 September.

Tyrell Malacia has not played this season due to a knee injury while Kobbie Mainoo has been out since suffering an ankle injury in pre-season.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen ended a run of three games without a win in all competitions (D1 L2) on Saturday, coming from behind to beat Vejle 2-1 at Parken.

Elias Achouri came off the bench to equalise with his first goal since 11 August, before Mohamed Elyounoussi got the winner, his fourth goal in eight games in all competitions.

Jacob Neestrup's side have won eight of their first 12 league games this season, losing only two.

A 93rd-minute Rasmus Falk goal rescued a 1-1 draw at AGF on 8 October. That meant Copenhagen are still unbeaten away from home this season in all competitions (W7 D4).

Winger Diogo Gonçalves has seven goals and five assists in all competitions this season, although his Matchday 1 strike at Galatasaray is his only goal since getting two in a 4-0 home win against Randers on 5 August.

Achouri, whose five assists are the most in this season's Superliga, was the only Copenhagen player selected for September's team of the month.

Copenhagen's top Danish league scorer in 2022/23 with 13 goals, Victor Claesson, is still to find the net in this season's competition but came off the bench to score twice in extra time at Sparta Praha in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round second leg on 15 August. He was also on target in Sweden's 5-0 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying victory in Estonia on 9 September.

Orri Óskarsson made his Iceland debut as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 EURO 2024 qualifying loss to Luxembourg on 8 September. He scored his first goal in a 1-1 home draw against Luxembourg on 13 October.

Right-back Elias Jelert made his Denmark debut in a 2-1 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying victory away in San Marino on 17 October.

Birger Meling was replaced shortly before half-time in the weekend win against Velje after picking up an injury.

Striker Andreas Cornelius came on as a substitute on Saturday having not played since suffering an injury in a 2-2 draw at Nordsjælland on 16 September.

Davit Khocholava has been out with a knee injury since 2 April. He had surgery in early July and was an unused substitute on Saturday.

William Clem suffered a fractured foot on 16 October and is not expected to play again in 2023.

On 5 August, Nicolai Boilesen made his first appearance since suffering a cruciate ligament injury on 16 October 2022 but suffered a relapse in the fifth game of his comeback, the defeat against Silkeborg on 26 August, and has not played since though he is now back in training.

Claesson was featured in both the official Danish Superliga team of the year and the fan's selection; Achouri was included in the latter.

On 6 September, Copenhagen announced that goalkeeper Kamil Grabara will join Wolfsburg in July 2024, although the German club also have the option to complete the move in January.