Preview: København v Leverkusen
Monday, August 18, 2014
Article summary
FC København have suffered a couple of recent domestic setbacks but Ståle Solbakken says confidence remains sky high as they prepare to host new-look Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
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• København have lost their last two home league games
• Ståle Solbakken, however, says FCK's confidence is still high
• The coach is eyeing a repeat of the FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk displays
• Stefan Kiessling scored five in Leverkusen's season opener – a cup game – on Friday
• Visiting boss Roger Schmidt promises to play pressing game he is known for
Possible lineups
København: Andersen; Høgli, Nilsson, Jørgensen, Bengtsson; Amartey, Claudemir, Amankwaa, Delaney; Kadrii, Cornelius.
• Out: Youssef Toutouh (muscle strain), Nicolai Jørgensen (muscle strain), Rúrik Gíslason (back), Kris Stadsgaard (knee), Christoffer Remmer (groin)
Leverkusen: Leno; Donati, Toprak, Spahić, Wendell; Castro, Rolfes; Çalhanoğlu, Brandt, Bellarabi; Kiessling.
• Out: Lars Bender (muscle), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (knee)
Ståle Solbakken, København coach
Roger [Schmidt] is a coach who stands for an intense form of pressing football. I saw Salzburg's matches against Ajax last season and they were extreme − the pressing was extremely hard. To play that way you need very strong and quick players in every position and it takes time to bring that style into a new team.
It will be easier for us to play a Champions League match as opposed to a Superliga fixture because even though we have lost two consecutive games at home in the league, our confidence has not been damaged. We are frustrated that we didn't get any points out of those two matches because in the last game against FC Midtjylland they scored from two dead-ball situations.
If we play well anything can happen. I'm confident. We have had a great summer in the transfer market and I'm very satisfied with the job we have done and the way we played against Dnipro in both games. If someone had told me earlier this summer me that we would beat Dnipro 2-0 I would have been very satisfied. We played fantastic against Dnipro and I believe that we can do that against Bayer Leverkusen as well.
Roger Schmidt, Leverkusen coach
Achieving fourth spot in the Bundesliga was a big achievement for Leverkusen. Now we are here to finish the job and qualify for the Champions League.
We will try to play our pressing game, but obviously if we lose the ball FC København will have easy access to some serious scoring chances. You never know what to expect when you go out onto the pitch, but when you have your destiny in your own hands, you have to be well prepared. We are.
It's always better to go into the play-offs full of confidence [København have lost their last two home games] but at the same time you can say that while they lost, København have played far more matches than Leverkusen this season and that can also influence the game. I anticipate tough opponents; they will definitely try to achieve a good result at home at the Parken, but we want it as well.
Weekend results
København 1-2 FC Midtjylland (Cornelius 90+4pen; Bak Nielsen 82, Igboun 90+2pen)
SV Alemannia Waldalgesheim 0-6 Leverkusen (Kiessling 2 24 31 41 59, Son 82)
Form guide (all competitions – this season only)
København: LLWDDW
Leverkusen: W
Match facts
• Which FCK midfielder played for Leverkusen (2010 –12), but failed to score in ten appearances for the club – and an additional five while on loan at 1. FC Kaiserslautern – before moving to the Danish capital? Find out in our extensive match background.