RKS Rakow Czestochowa vs FC Copenhagen Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Prediction published on 20/08/2023, 13:15  by Devesh Jaganath in Champions League Predictions

The UEFA Champions League playoffs will get underway this week, with Rakow Czestochowa taking on FC Copenhagen on Tuesday evening. The first leg will be played at Stadion GKS-u, and the winner of the two-legged tie will go on to feature in this year's UEFA Champions League main draw to be held on August 31st. The hosts beat Aris Limassol 3-1 in the third round of the competition, securing a 2-1 win in the first leg and running out 1-0 winners the following week. Earlier in the competition, the Ekstraklasa champions overcame Qarabag 4-3 in the second round of qualifying and eased past Flora 4-0 in their opening round of the competition. They have maintained a perfect record in home matches in this competition, with three wins in three so far. Over their last six matches, Rakow have a record of three wins, two draws, and one loss, with their solitary defeat coming against Piast Gliwice in the league. The hosts won the Ekstraklasa for the first time in their history last season, meaning this is the frst time that they are competing in the Champions League qualifiers. In the last two seasons, they played in the Europa Conference League qualifiers but were knocked out in the playoff round on both occasions. Still, they are the marginal favourites to win this match, though they are 2/1 underdogs to reach the group stages. 

Meanwhile, FC Copenhagen won the Danish Superliga for a third consecutive time last season and will be aiming to make it to their second Champions League main draw in succession. The Danish champions entered the qualifiers in the second round with a 2-0 win over Breidablik in their first match before powering home in the second leg 6-3. The last round proved to be a much more stern test which ended 3-3 on aggregate against Sparta Prague, though the visitors managed to secure their place in this round on penalties. Their good form has not been confined to just this competition, though. Copenhagen have already taken the lead in their domestic league with a perfect record of five wins in five. They are also one of only two teams that are yet to be beaten in the Superliga this season. Last season, the visitors were drawn into Group G of the Champions League alongside Manchester City, Dortmund, and Sevilla. They finished bottom of their group with just three points in their three matches. However, they are yet to suffer a single defeat in any competition this season and will be confident of their chances to progress against this opponent.