FC Copenhagen v FC Midtjylland
The Danish Superligaen 2012/13 season kicks-off this weekend with Danish giants FC Copenhagen coming up against FC Midtjylland. This season marks the 100 year anniversary of the Danish Football League. Copenhagen finished runners-up to FC Nordsjælland last season with Midtjylland finishing eight points behind Copenhagen in third place. Midtjylland have a strong link with Nigerian club FC Ebedei and have six Nigerians in the first team squad.
Copenhagen was founded in 1992 and have already established themselves as one of the most successful clubs in Danish football. They have won nine Superligaen Championships and five Danish Cup trophies. After last season’s disappointment of failing to defend their league title, they appointed former coach of Belgian side Anderlecht, Ariel Jacobs. He was hugely successful at Anderlecht winning the league title in 2009/10 as well as last season. Copenhagen have added to their attacking ranks with 21-year-old Danish international forward Nicolai Jorgensen from Bayer Leverkusen. Jorgensen will provide good support to Senegalese striker Dame N’Doye. N’Doye has been the top scorer in the league for the past two seasons and has scored 82 goals in 150 appearances for Copenhagen. Copenhagen were only beaten at home once last season and will look to carry that strong home form into this match.
The past six seasons has seen Midtjylland establish themselves as one of the better Danish sides. They have finished runners-up twice to Copenhagen in that time and will no doubt be aiming for their first league title this season. In 2000 Midtjylland were promoted to the Danish Superligaen, after a season in which the team had gathered more points than any other team in the history of the 1st division. In 2007 they made a financial expansion in the region of 10 million Euros, to secure its current status as a challenger to the national football throne to the likes of Copenhagen. And in 2004 Midtjylland was the first Danish club to have its own football academy. The academy attracts players from all over Denmark, as well as players from their partnering club in Nigeria. Midtjylland won just seven of their 16 away matches last season, and will need to improve on that if they are to push harder for this season’s title. Nigerian Sylvester Igboun had one of his better seasons last term and finished as the clubs top scorer. His pace and power give Midtjylland the tools to get behind defences where their midfielders get into the box which sets up good scoring opportunities. They managed more goals than Copenhagen in the league last season but their main problem was their failure to keep clean sheets. They conceded a total of 40 goals in 33 matches.
These sides have met 39 times with Copenhagen getting 19 wins to Midtjylland’s nine, and the remaining nine being drawn. Copenhagen have only lost twice at home to Midtjylland in 18 matches and are tipped to start the season on a high by getting maximum points.
