© Reuters
Head-to-head record
Previous meetings: 5
Man Utd wins: 3
Draws: 0
Copenhagen wins: 2
The most recent meeting between these two sides provided a genuine thriller in the group stages of the 2023-24 Champions League, as they played out a seven-goal spectacular including penalties, a red card, comebacks, and ultimately a major shock.
Rasmus Hojlund had scored twice in the opening 30 minutes against his hometown club to seemingly put Man United in command, but a VAR-assisted red card for Marcus Rashford in the 42nd minute turned the game on its head.
Incredibly, with 13 minutes of time added on in the first half, Copenhagen were back level before the interval as goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and a penalty from Diogo Goncalves restored parity, but a spot kick from Bruno Fernandes in the second half nudged Man United back in front.
They suffered another collapse in the final 10 minutes, though, as Copenhagen scored in the 83rd and 87th minutes - the latter from 17-year-old Roony Bardghji - to secure a dramatic 4-3 win on one of the greatest nights in their history.
The first meeting of that group stage was not quite as action-packed, but there was still drama as Andre Onana needed to save a late penalty to earn a 1-0 win for his side, after Harry Maguire had scored the only goal of the game.
Prior to that double-header, their last meeting came in the quarter-final of the Europa League in August 2020, which was a one-off game rather than a two-legged affair due to the impact of COVID-19 on the football calendar.
The three-time European champions needed extra time on that occasion, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the decisive penalty for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side in the German city of Cologne.
The other two Champions League showdowns came in the 2006-07 group stage, and there was little surprise when Man United cruised to victory over a Copenhagen side appearing in the competition for the first time during the first game at Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes opened the scoring for a team that also included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, before second-half strikes from less-familiar goalscorers John O'Shea and Kieran Richardson sealed a routine triumph.
There was nothing routine about the return fixture, though, as Copenhagen pulled off a famous 1-0 victory - their first-ever in the Champions League - through a 73rd-minute goal from former Aston Villa man Marcus Allback.
Previous meetings
Nov 8, 2023: Copenhagen 4-3 Man United (Champions League group stage)
Oct 24, 2023: Man United 1-0 Copenhagen (Champions League group stage)
Aug 10, 2020: Man United 1-0 Copenhagen (Europa League quarter-final)
Nov 1, 2006: Copenhagen 1-0 Man United (Champions League group stage)
Oct 17, 2006: Man United 3-0 Copenhagen (Champions League group stage)
Barney Corkhill
