UEFA Champions League Gameweek 1
FC Copenhagen 2 - 2 FT Bayer Leverkusen
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Futmetrix Verdict
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FT
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37
⚖️ Balance
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🏆 Stakes
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🎲 Upset
80
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⚡ Form
54
⚖️ Balance
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🏆 Stakes
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91
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Futmetrix Verdict
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FT
Sat, Sep 19
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2-1
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⚡ Intensity
61
⚖️ Balance
41
🏆 Stakes
40
🎲 Upset
0
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Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
9' J. Larsson (E. Achouri)
33' Marcos López
HT
↓ E. Fernandez ↑A. Garcia 51'
↓ M. Tillman ↑I. Maza 51'
53' Thomas Delaney
55' ↓ T. Delaney ↑M. Madsen
Lucas Vázquez 62'
↓ E. Ben Seghir ↑E. Poku 67'
↓ L. Bade ↑C. Echeverri 67'
69' ↓ Y. Moukoko ↑V. Claesson
79' ↓ J. Larsson ↑Y. Zague
79' ↓ E. Achouri ↑Robert
A. Grimaldo 82'
87' Robert (R. Huescas)
↓ R. Andrich ↑C. M. Kofane 88'
Edmond Tapsoba 89'
P. Hatzidiakos (C. Echeverri) 90'
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
FC Copenhagen
Goalkeepers
Dominik Kotarski 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Rodrigo Huescas 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
28%
Pass Acc
Gabriel Pereira 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Pantelis Hatzidiakos 
CLUTCH HERO
90
Goal Time
90
Goal Time
Own Goal
Impact
6
Rating
Marcos López
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Jordan Larsson 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Lukas Lerager 
ENFORCER
4
Tackles
4
Tackles
6
Duels Won
100%
Win %
Thomas Delaney
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
55
Total Mins
55
Entry
Elias Achouri 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.2
Rating
Forwards
Youssoufa Moukoko
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Mohamed Elyounoussi 
MAGNET
49
Activity
49
Activity
35
Passes
14
Duels
BENCH
Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Oscar Gadeberg-Buur
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Munashe Garananga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Junnosuke Suzuki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yoram Zague
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Birger Meling
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Viktor Claesson
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
21
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Robert Silva
CLUTCH HERO
87
Goal Time
87
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
7.3
Rating
Mads Emil Madsen
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
35
Total Mins
Started
Entry
William Clem
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Bayer Leverkusen
Goalkeepers
Mark Flekken
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Jarell Quansah
MAGNET
89
Activity
89
Activity
82
Passes
7
Duels
Loïc Badé
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
67
Total Mins
67
Entry
Edmond Tapsoba
MAGNET
127
Activity
127
Activity
122
Passes
5
Duels
Midfielders
Lucas Vázquez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Robert Andrich 
NPC
88
Minutes
88
Minutes
49%
Pass Acc
6.3
Rating
Ezequiel Fernández
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
51
Total Mins
51
Entry
Álex Grimaldo 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
Forwards
Malik Tillman
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
51
Total Mins
51
Entry
Eliesse Ben Seghir 
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
6
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Patrik Schick
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
8
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
BENCH
Janis Blaswich
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Niklas Lomb
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Arthur
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Axel Tape-Kobrissa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jeanuël Belocian
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Claudio Echeverri
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Aleix García
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
39
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ernest Poku
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ibrahim Maza
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
39
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Christian Kofane
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/15/2023 | Bayer Leverkusen | 1 - 0 | FC Copenhagen | Friendlies Clubs | BayArena |
| 08/27/2014 | Bayer Leverkusen | 4 - 0 | FC Copenhagen | UEFA Champions League | BayArena |
| 08/19/2014 | FC Copenhagen | 2 - 3 | Bayer Leverkusen | UEFA Champions League | Parken |
01/15/2023
08/27/2014
08/19/2014
FC Copenhagen Win
Bayer Leverkusen Win
Draw
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
FC Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen
FC Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen
Copenhagen Survives Leverkusen Onslaught in Parken Masterclass
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 65/100. Four goals in 81 minutes transformed a tactical chess match into a Champions League spectacle that will haunt both sides for entirely different reasons.
Early Dominance Undone by Possession Paradox
FC Copenhagen struck with surgical precision at Parken, Jordan Larsson finishing a clinical ninth-minute move after E. Achouri's assist to stun Bayer Leverkusen. The hosts controlled the early narrative despite surrendering 64% possession—a masterclass in counter-attacking discipline. Dominik Kotarski's three saves kept Copenhagen's lead intact through a relentless first half, but Leverkusen's 15 total shots signalled the pressure was building.
The Collapse Nobody Saw Coming
The intensity shifted seismically in the final 13 minutes. Alejandro Grimaldo levelled in the 82nd minute, his finish clinical and devastating. Copenhagen appeared to have weathered the storm when Robert restored their lead in the 87th—but the cruelty of football struck in the 90th. A C. Echeverri cross found P. Hatzidiakos in the worst possible place, the own goal denying Copenhagen a vital three points in a match they dominated tactically.
The Unfinished Business
Copenhagen's 79% pass accuracy and 12 shots betrayed their control; Leverkusen's 89% precision masked an underlying fragility. The stakes couldn't be higher in Europe's premier competition—Copenhagen now sits third in the league phase with 15 points from seven matches, while Leverkusen's opening draw leaves them scrambling for momentum. This wasn't a defeat, but it tasted like one at Parken.
Key Questions
Why couldn't Copenhagen hold their lead?
Defensive lapses in the final 13 minutes and a catastrophic own goal in stoppage time undid their tactical dominance and possession discipline.
What does this draw mean for both teams?
Copenhagen's unbeaten run continues but points dropped; Leverkusen needs immediate improvement to avoid falling further behind in the league phase.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Survival Instincts at Parken Stadium
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 26/100. This is a high-stakes scramble for the points needed to stay above the qualification cutoff line in the revamped league phase.
The Setup
As the Champions League league stage intensifies, the margin for error has evaporated for both FC Copenhagen and Bayer Leverkusen. Currently sitting 24th and 20th respectively, both clubs find themselves perched precariously on the edge of the top-24 playoff line. The Danish hosts enter this September 18 fixture at Parken Stadium with a Form that has stuttered after three consecutive losses, while the visitors from Germany have struggled to find their typical Balance, conceding more goals than they have scored so far. For both managers, the Stakes couldn't be higher; a defeat here could leave their European ambitions in tatters before the winter break. While both squads possess high-level Stars, the focus will be on tactical discipline over individual brilliance.
Key Battle
The match will be decided by the clash between the Copenhagen defensive low block and the Leverkusen creative engine. The home side’s midfield unit must maintain a rigid structure to deny space between the lines, while the German visitors will look to use their superior ball progression to stretch the Danish backline and exploit gaps in transition.
Our Prediction
Expect a cagey, high-tension affair where neither side is willing to overcommit. Copenhagen will rely on the atmosphere at Parken Stadium to frustrate the visitors, while Leverkusen will dominate possession without finding the clinical edge required to pull away. A 1-1 draw is the likely outcome, a result that keeps both teams alive but provides little comfort in the race for the top 24.