Drita will welcome Copenhagen to Kosovo on Tuesday, 29 July, for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match.
The visitors hold a 2-0 aggregate advantage coming into the match following their win on home soil in the first leg, but the tie is far from over, particularly as Drita will be able to rely on big support on Tuesday night.
The Kosovan side have never made it this far in qualifying, and they won’t want to go out without a try.
The clash between Drita and Copenhagen this week will be the second time that the two clubs have faced each other in a week, after the first leg took place in Denmark on 22 July. That match marked the first time that the two clubs had ever met, meaning Copenhagen currently boasts a 1-0 advantage in the overall H2H.
Magnus Mattson had seemingly started this season out of favour with Copenhagen manager, Jacob Neestrup, as the midfielder started their first league and European games on the substitutes’ bench.
However, after coming off the bench to score the winner against Viborg in their opening league match, before doing the same but with two goals in the first leg against Drita last week, the 26-year-old was given a start at the weekend.
Mattson can expect to start this match as well, not least because he is a dead-ball specialist should they struggle to break Drita down in open play.
If Drita are to pull off the unthinkable, then you feel they need a massive performance from striker, Arb Manaj. The 27-year-old has scored three goals in three Champions League appearances so far this season.
Drita have no injuries or suspension to report for this match, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them go in unchanged after a gutsy appearance away in Denmark last week. Copenhagen don’t have the same luxury, and they are missing three first team players – Runar Alex Runarasson, Oliver Hojer and Junnosuke Suzuki.
Drita: Maloku – Krasniqi, Beytulai, Mesa, Ovouka – Broja, Balaj, Limaj, Dabiqaj, Tusha – Manaj.
Copenhagen: Kotarski – Zague, Garananga, Pereira, Meling – Larsson, Clem, Delaney, Elyounoussi – Cornelius, Mattsson.
