Bayern vs Copenhagen facts

Group A winners Bayern München aim to continue their dominant form in this season's UEFA Champions League as they welcome to Germany a Copenhagen side who are hoping to join them in the round of 16.

The German champions have won all four Group A games so far – including a 2-1 success in Denmark on Matchday 2 – and sealed progress with two matches to spare thanks to two Harry Kane goals in the final ten minutes of a 2-1 victory against Galatasaray in Munich.

Copenhagen also recorded a dramatic home victory last time out, recovering from 0-2 and 2-3 down to beat Manchester United 4-3 at Parken thanks to a late winner from 17-year-old substitute Roony Bardghji.

Previous meetings

Bayern were 2-1 winners in Copenhagen on Matchday 2 despite falling behind to Lukas Lerager's 56th-minute opener. Jamal Musiala levelled 11 minutes later before an 83rd-minute winner from substitute Mathys Tel.

That was the club's first meeting – the only Group A fixture in which the sides had not previously played.

Form guide

Bayern

Record vs Danish clubs: W6 D0 L1 F17 A6
Home record vs Danish clubs: W2 D0 L1

Before Matchday 2 Bayern had not faced a Danish club since the 1998/99 group stage, when they lost 2-1 at Brøndby before a 2-0 victory in Munich.

That loss in Copenhagen is Bayern's only defeat against Danish opposition; they have won the other six games, including a 2-1 victory against HB Køge in their first home game, in the 1976/77 European Cup first round second leg (7-1 aggregate) and a 3-1 defeat of AGF Aarhus in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup second round second leg (5-2 agg).

The Munich side have featured in the Champions League group stage in every season since 2008/09, reaching the knockout rounds in each one of those campaigns.

Overall, this is Bayern's 27th campaign in the Champions League proper, level with Porto and fewer only than Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 28).

Bayern are unbeaten in a record 38 Champions League group matches (W35 D3) and have won each of their last 17 group games, also a competition best.

This season Bayern have beaten Manchester United 4-3 at home and, after victory in Copenhagen, Galatasaray in both Istanbul (3-1) and Munich (2-1).

In 2022/23, under Julian Nagelsmann, the Munich club became the first team to win all six games in the group stage on three occasions. They finished ahead of Inter Milan, Barcelona and Viktoria Plzeň in Group C before ousting Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 2-0 h) only, with Thomas Tuchel having succeeded Nagelsmann, to come up short against eventual champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals (0-3 a, 1-1 h).

Tuchel's team responded to their Champions League elimination by winning Bayern's 11th successive Bundesliga title, pipping Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the season.

The six-time European champions – who claimed their fifth European Cup in 2013 at Wembley, the venue for this season's final – have been eliminated in the last eight in the last three seasons but have reached the quarter-finals or better in 11 of their last 12 Champions League campaigns, the exception a last-16 elimination by Liverpool in 2018/19.

A 3-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020/21 quarter-final first leg ended Bayern's run of eight successive home Champions League victories and is one of only three of their last 21 matches in the competition in Munich they have not won. The others were 1-1 second-leg draws against Villarreal and Manchester City in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 quarter-finals respectively, both results spelling elimination from the competition.

Copenhagen

Record vs German clubs: W0 D4 L9 F8 A23
Away record vs German clubs: W0 D3 L3

Copenhagen were paired with German opponents in last season's group stage, losing 3-0 at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1 before a 1-1 home draw in the Matchday 6 return.

That draw in Copenhagen ended the Danish side's four-game losing streak against Bundesliga clubs.

Copenhagen have lost their last two games away to German clubs, conceding seven goals without scoring themselves, and have not scored in the country in three games, since a 2-2 draw at Hannover in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League group stage.

The Danish club also lost 1-0 to Manchester United after extra time in the one-off 2019/20 Europa League quarter-final in Cologne.

Copenhagen are in the Champions League group stage for the sixth time, having made their first appearance since 2016/17 last season. No other Danish side has featured more than twice.

The Danish club finished fourth in their section for the third time in their five group campaigns in 2022/23, failing to win a game in Group G. They did, however, draw all three home matches, losing all three away including a 5-0 reverse at Manchester City that equalled their biggest European defeat.

Four of Copenhagen's five campaigns in the Champions League proper have ended in the group stage, the exception 2010/11 when they lost to Chelsea in the round of 16 (0-2 h, 0-0 a).

The Danish champions eased past Breidablik of Iceland in their first European tie this season in the second qualifying round (2-0 a, 6-3 h), but had to come through a tight third qualifying round contest against Sparta Praha, the first leg at Parken finishing scoreless before a 3-3 draw in Prague in which both teams scored twice in extra time, Copenhagen eventually prevailing 4-2 on penalties. They then edged past Polish champions Raków Częstochowa in the play-offs (1-0 a, 1-1 h).

Having let slip a two-goal lead late on to draw 2-2 at Galatasaray on Matchday 1 before being beaten by Bayern, Copenhagen went down 1-0 at Manchester United in their third fixture – Jordan Larsson having a penalty saved with the last kick of the game – but turned the tables on the English club last time out with a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory.

That Matchday 4 win against United was only Copenhagen's fourth in their last 16 European games (D7 L5).

Copenhagen's first-leg wins at Breidablik and Raków in qualifying this season are their only victories in their last ten European away games (D4 L4).

A 2-0 win at Club Brugge on Matchday 6 in 2016/17 is Copenhagen's only victory in their last 14 away Champions League matches, group stage to final (D3 L10).

Copenhagen claimed their record-equalling 15th Danish league title, all since 1993, and their fifth in eight seasons in 2022/23. They also lifted the Danish Cup to win a sixth domestic double.

Links and trivia

Have played together:
Mathys Tel & Birger Meling (Rennes 2021/22)
Konrad Laimer & Peter Ankersen (Salzburg 2014/15)

Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil Grabara will move to German club Wolfsburg on 1 July 2024.

Kane scored England's winner against Denmark in the UEFA EURO 2020 semi-final at Wembley.

Joshua Kimmich scored Germany's 88th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 friendly draw against Denmark on 6 June 2017.

Andreas Cornelius scored twice in Denmark's 2-1 UEFA Nations League win against Kingsley Coman's France on 3 June 2022.

Latest news

Bayern

The Matchday 1 win against Manchester United made Thomas Müller the third player to end on the winning side in 100 Champions League matches, after Cristiano Ronaldo (115) and Iker Casillas (101), whom Müller surpassed with the win against Galatasaray on Matchday 4.

On Friday Bayern made it six successive Bundesliga victories with a 1-0 win at Köln.

Harry Kane scored the only goal. He has 18 in his first 12 league games for Bayern, a Bundesliga record; he is also the first Englishman to score 18 Bundesliga goals in a season.

Bayern did not make a single substitution at Köln, the first Bundesliga match in which they used only 11 players since 11 December 2010.

One week after Bayern had prevailed 4-0 in Dortmund, Kane scoring a hat-trick, they won 4-2 against Heidenheim on 11 November with the striker scoring the first two goals.

That made Kane the first player to have scored 17 goals in the first 11 matchdays, surpassing the previous record of 16 set by Robert Lewandowski in 2019/20.

Kane has already registered two more goals after 12 Bundesliga matchdays than Niclas Füllkrug and Christopher Nkunku, the leading goalscorers for the whole of 2022/23.

Kane has scored in his last seven Bayern games, 13 goals in all.

Raphaël Guerreiro, who had been out since 7 October with a thigh injury, returned as a second-half substitute at home to Heidenheim and scored his first Bayern goal to make it 3-2 after the home side had levelled.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting struck Bayern's fourth goal against Heidenheim, making him the only player to have scored against all 18 current Bundesliga teams.

Against Heidenheim Bouna Sarr started a Bundesliga game for the first time since April 2021.

Bayern and Leverkusen both set a new Bundesliga record after 11 matchdays by scoring at least twice in every game. Bayern's run ended on Friday, while Leverkusen made it 12 the following day.

Bayern have 32 points in this season's Bundesliga (W10 D2), seven more than after 12 games last season and their best start to a league season since picking up 34 points in their first 12 games in 2015/16.

On 1 November, for the third time in the last four seasons, Bayern bowed out of the German Cup in the second round, this time with a 2-1 defeat at third tier Saarbrücken.

That is the only one of Bayern's last ten games in all competitions they have not won.

Bayern were 8-0 league victors against Darmstadt on 28 October, Kane scoring another hat-trick.

That was the first Bundesliga match in which three players were sent off in the first half, Bayern losing Joshua Kimmich to a fourth-minute red card before the visitors were reduced to nine men.

Bayern scored all eight goals in the second half, only the third time in Bundesliga history a team had achieved that feat.

Against Darmstadt Müller struck his first league goal in 2023/24, making him the first Bayern player to score in 15 Bundesliga seasons.

Bayern's 3-1 victory in Mainz on 21 October was Müller's 323rd, making him the player with the most wins in Bundesliga history. Having been an unused substitute on Friday he is now on 326, level with Manuel Neuer.

Jamal Musiala, who scored his first two league goals this season, and Leroy Sané both struck twice against Darmstadt, the latter equalling his personal Bundesliga season best with eight goals. Sané has 11 goals in his last 24 games for club and country although only two in the last 12.

Bayern have scored in all 21 Bundesliga games under Thomas Tuchel. Only two Bayern coaches have had a longer scoring Bundesliga streak at the start of their reign: Pep Guardiola (28 matches) and Julian Nagelsmann (40).

Bayern scored 42 goals in the first 11 matchdays, a new league record. The defeat of Darmstadt was the 200th time they had scored five or more goals in a Bundesliga game.

Bayern lost 3-0 at home to Leipzig in the German Super Cup on 12 August – their only other defeat this season besides the Saarbrücken loss.

On 16 November Konrad Laimer scored in Austria's 2-0 win in UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying in Estonia.

The next day Kane was on target in England's 2-0 qualifying win against Malta.

On 18 November Kingsley Coman struck twice for France in a 14-0 qualifying success against Gibraltar, a UEFA EURO 2025 record victory.

Three days later Sané was sent off shortly after the break in Germany's 2-0 friendly defeat in Austria – his first dismissal in his 402nd professional game.

On 21 November Alphonso Davies scored in Canada's 3-2 home loss against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final second leg, a result that confirmed an aggregate defeat on away goals.

Musiala had to be replaced shortly before the break on Matchday 4 because of a hamstring injury and has not played since.

Matthijs de Ligt had to be replaced midway through the first half in Saarbrücken because of a knee injury and has missed the last four Bayern games.

On 17 November Musiala finished second in the Golden Boy award 2023 behind Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham.

On 14 November Bayern announced that 17-year-old Australian Nestory Irankunda will move to Munich from Adelaide United in the summer.

On 1 November Aleksandar Pavlovic, who had made his Bayern debut against Darmstadt as a late substitute, signed his first professional contract until 2027.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen's Matchday 4 win against Manchester United was the first for a Danish side in the UEFA Champions League group stage since their 2-0 victory at Club Brugge on 7 December 2016.

Copenhagen suffered their first Danish Superliga defeat since 30 September, and third in all, on Saturday, going down 2-1 at Viborg despite Mohamed Elyounoussi giving them a half-time lead.

The Danish champions' four-game winning run in all competitions was ended by a 0-0 draw at home to Brøndby on 12 November.

Copenhagen scored four goals in three of the four victories that preceded that stalemate.

On 5 November Copenhagen came from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win 4-2 at Randers in the Danish Superliga. Rasmus Falk scored their first goal, his second of the season; he has two in his last six league matches, as many as in his previous 75 appearances.

Copenhagen's next three goals were all scored by substitutes. Victor Claesson was on target for the second successive league match before Jordan Larsson got his first league goal since 29 July and 17-year-old Victor Froholdt marked his league debut with an added-time strike.

Froholdt had also scored on his only previous first-team appearance, a 9-0 Danish Cup win at third division Lyseng on 27 September.

Copenhagen were 4-0 winners at home to Hvidovre on 28 October, Lukas Lerager opening the scoring after just 14 seconds – the fastest goal in Copenhagen's history.

Claesson was also on target, his first league goal of the season. The Swedish international was Copenhagen's top Danish league scorer in 2022/23 with 13 goals; he has two in 12 games in the current campaign.

Roony Bardghji got the third goal and is Copenhagen's top scorer in the league in 2023/24 with seven.

Jacob Neestrup's side have won ten of their first 16 league games this season; Saturday was their third defeat.

Substitute Bardghji scored a late winner as Copenhagen won 1-0 at home to Midtjylland in the Danish Cup last 16 on 31 October.

Copenhagen will take on Silkeborg in the two-legged quarter-finals on 6 and 9 December.

Bardghji, who got the Matchday 4 winner against Manchester United and turned 18 on 15 November, is also Copenhagen's top scorer in all competitions this season with ten goals.

Elias Achouri has seven assists in this season's Superliga, including one on Saturday, more than any other player.

Copenhagen midfielder Diogo Gonçalves was included in the Superliga's Team of the Month for October.

Orri Óskarsson scored the opening goal as Iceland lost 4-2 in Slovakia in their penultimate UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier on 16 November.

Claesson scored the first goal and set up the second in Sweden's 2-0 win at home to Estonia on 19 November.

The same day, Elyounoussi headed a late equaliser to earn Norway a 3-3 draw in Scotland.

Bardghji scored Sweden's first goal in a 3-0 Under-21 friendly win against Finland on 16 November, and provided an assist in the 4-2 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying defeat at home to the Netherlands on 20 November.

Froholdt scored in Denmark's 4-0 win against Estonia in 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying on 18 November. Oscar Højlund was on target in the 2-1 win against France three days later.

Striker Andreas Cornelius was in the team against Midtjylland on 31 October, his first start since 22 July in an injury-troubled campaign. He also started at Randers on 5 November but was replaced at half-time and was out until coming on on Saturday.

Birger Meling was replaced shortly before half-time in a 2-1 win against Velje on 21 October after picking up a muscle injury and has not played since. He is not expected to return to action until the new year.

Davit Khocholava made his first appearance since 2 April in the 4-0 home win against Hvidovre on 28 October; the Georgian had been out with a knee injury. He has since undergone another operation that will keep him out until the new year.

William Clem suffered a fractured foot on 16 October and is not expected to play again in 2023.

On 6 September, Copenhagen announced that goalkeeper Kamil Grabara will join Wolfsburg in July 2024, although the German club also have the option to complete the move in January.