Can Man United cope in Copenhagen? Champions League opponent boss says the atmosphere at Parken Stadium is ‘100x more intense than at Old Trafford’ – this is what Erik ten Hag’s men will encounter
- FC Copenhagen receives Man United at the Parken Stadium on Wednesday
- Their boss Jacob Neestrup has warned United of the reception they will receive
- ‘Wobbling’ Maguire should have been taken off: listen to it It all starts
FC Copenhagen boss Jacob Neestrup has sent a warning to Manchester United ahead of their Champions League match against the Danish giants on Wednesday.
The two teams face each other again in the group stage after a dramatic encounter last month, when Andre Onana saved Jordan Larsson’s final penalty to give United a crucial 1-0 win through Harry Maguire’s goal.
It’s a huge game for Erik ten Hag’s side, who are playing catch-up after losing their first two games of the competition to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, with the Red Devils needing to win in Denmark.
However, ahead of the match, Neestrup told United to prepare for an intense reception when they turned up at the Parken Stadium, with his side desperate for revenge after their brutal defeat in the reverse fixture.
‘What can they expect?’ he said at his pre-match press conference. ‘I would say with all the respect I felt when I entered Old Trafford, I felt the historic atmosphere.
Copenhagen boss Jacob Neestrup has sent a warning to Man United ahead of tonight’s match
He emphasized that the atmosphere in Parken Stadium is a hundred times greater than that at Old Trafford
Neestrup also claimed that the intensity of the supporters in Denmark is more evident than that in England
‘But you can’t compare Old Trafford to Parks because the intensity is a hundred times what we played two weeks ago. Then this is a standard that for me is far above the Premier League, to be honest.’
Elsewhere in the competition, Neestrup’s side narrowly lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich, while they also drew 2-2 at Galatasaray, meaning they have been involved in three hard-fought matches.
And the Copenhagen boss insisted he is confident ahead of the match and felt they were extremely unlucky to lose at Old Trafford.
He added: “For me it’s not about hope. For me it’s about having a strong belief that we can achieve a result.
‘The penalty miss in the fifth minute of extra time was what it was, but it was a completely even match.
‘I was a bit surprised by some of the questions I got from English journalists after the match, in the sense that we were quite difficult to break.
‘The conversation we had in our dressing room at half-time was that we thought it was difficult to bring the opponent down. From that picture, I think the match was completely equal over 95 minutes and I expect the same on Wednesday.’
Neestrup promised that Copenhagen supporters would support their team with pride and passion
He also felt they were unlucky not to be able to take anything from their 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford last month
He continued: “I also thought it was a perfect time to play against Bayern Munich. We play at home, we are a big, big club in Copenhagen, so for me it really doesn’t matter.
‘We need a result. Three points at best, one at best. Four weeks ago we played against Bayern Munich in Parken, who came with a lot of confidence.
‘I think they won the game in front of us by five, six or seven goals, but we were ourselves and that is our best chance to achieve something on Wednesday.
“It doesn’t matter in what form United, Bayern Munich or Galatasaray arrive.”
