Malmo FF (Swe) vs FC Copenhagen (Den) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-08-04 17:00.
[p]Perched either side of the Öresund strait, the respective reigning Swedish and Danish champions Malmö and Copenhagen are set to battle it out in this UEFA Champions League (UCL) third qualifying round first leg. [/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Following a comfortable tie against Latvian champions RFS (agg 2-0), Malmö now find themselves on the cusp of progressing beyond the UCL third qualifying round in consecutive seasons. Not featuring in the UCL proper since 2021/22, Malmö may be quietly confident of overcoming their Danish rivals here given that they have progressed from five of their last six two-legged ties in the UCL’s third qualifying round. Such progress hasn’t been easy with four of the last six games in that sequence being level after 90 minutes (W2), but Malmö’s longest winning run in all competitions since April 2024 (W7) has them excellently placed to advance. [/p]
[p]Copenhagen went all the way to the final 16 of last season’s UEFA Conference League as well as securing a domestic double before beginning the new league season in fine form (W3). Their perfect start to 2025/26 has them on their longest competitive winning streak since September 2021 (W8), including a 3-0 aggregate victory over Kosovan outfit Drita in the previous round of this competition. Copenhagen may find this tie more difficult as the Danes have played out draws in each of their last four games at this stage of UCL qualifying, with both ties going to penalties. [/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Malmö boasts a slight advantage over Copenhagen after four competitive meetings (W2, D1, L1) which began in the now defunct Royal League. Only one of the four clashes produced at least three goals, while their 2019/20 Europa League meetings ended 1-0 and 1-1. [/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Nine of Malmö’s last 11 competitive wins were by a 2+ goal margin.[/p]
[p]Malmö have never lost against a Danish opponent in UEFA competitions (W2, D2). [/p]
[p]Copenhagen have won just one of their seven UEFA clashes against Swedish sides (D3, L3). [/p]
[p]Copenhagen kept a clean sheet in ten of their last 11 competitive wins.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Taha Ali has scored three goals across his four UCL appearances for Malmö this season, while four of the Swede’s last six competitive strikes came in continental action. For Copenhagen, Magnus Mattsson has proven useful in a pinch, scoring three times from the penalty spot across his last two appearances as a second-half substitute. [/p]
[p]Malmö remains without long-term absentee Erik Botheim, while Copenhagen’s Viktor Claesson made a cautious return from illness via the bench at the weekend.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Given the magnitude of the fixture and the comparable size and scope of the clubs’ ambitions, we’re anticipating a tight contest and opting for a drawn first leg.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Matthew Billon[/i][/p]