Rakow take on the visitors Copenhagen in the first leg of UEFA Champions League qualification finals. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 22nd at ArcelorMittal Park (Sosnowiec).
Rakow are close to an incredible success. The Red and Blue have been in existence for over a century. However, it was only in the 1920s that they managed to show something significant – and at that, the team made a sharp leap to a qualitatively higher level. In 2021 and 2022, the results were almost identical: 2nd place in the Ekstraklasa, victories in the Cup and Super Cup, elimination in the Europa League qualification by the 3rd opponent. Finally, in the spring, the Medallions were able to clinch the championship title. Thus, they have now entered the premier continental tournament. And there, even at the expense of their performance on the domestic stage, where the start was practically a failure, the Poles are making sensations. It's clear that the 4-0 aggregate score against Estonian Flora was some kind of mandatory program. But then they eliminated the experienced Qarabag (3-2, 1-1), and the ambitious Aris of Shpilevsky (2-1, 1-0).
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Copenhagen progressed to the decisive round, albeit with difficulty. The Lions, with far more experience compared to their opponent, have a much shorter overall history of the project. With a dozen and a half championship titles (they typically win gold every 2nd season), active participation in European competitions, including reaching the playoffs of the premier continental tournament. However, in this Champions League qualification, the Danes progressed to the decisive round with some difficulty. Against Breidablik, they managed 2-0 and 6-3. But against the more experienced opponent, Prague's Sparta, they failed to score at home, ending in a goalless draw. However, in the Czech capital, the match turned out to be spectacular. Ironites equalized in regulation time, then in extra time, the visitors managed to score twice (Victor Klaesson scored a brace). Ultimately, it came down to penalties, where the Danes showed 100% conversion, while the hosts missed 2 out of 4 attempts.
For the Poles, this is their 3rd foray into European competitions, and their debut in the Champions League. It's not surprising that they are facing a Danish grand for the first time. According to experts, the chances of both teams are roughly equal, even considering the match taking place in Poland. However, the game is unlikely to be high-scoring – expect under 2.5 goals scored.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
