Manchester United will face FC Copenhagen on Monday night knowing that victory will take them to the Europa League quarter-finals.
But, as Celtic discovered earlier in the competition, the Danish team is an opposition that can harm United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men allow them to play their own way.
Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken said he feared the worst when he had an idea of his war games in the Premier League and said his most sensitive Danish finalists had to play the “perfect game” to defeat United.
Sportsmail analyses the damaging Danes that Harry Maguire and company watch when United makes stopovers in the Cologne countryside…
Copenhagen proved their victory to Celtic in February: can they beat Man United?
Wind of Jonah
The first user Solskjaer deserves to be at risk of danger is young Jonas Wind, who scored two goals in the 3-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir in round 16 of the Europa League last week.
The 21-year-old crossed 2019–20 with very good style, scoring five goals in his first six league games before suffering a serious knee injury that left him out for the rest of the normal season.
Jonas Wind scored two goals in Copenhagen’s win over Istanbul in this year’s Europa League final
But the coronavirus pandemic, the wind has returned in time to the top of the Europa League and at 6 feet 2 inches will be the biggest risk in Copenhagen on Monday night.
Solskjaer will have to ask his team to make sure the ball is out of Wind’s stick with a left foot.
Rasmus Falk
Danish winger Rasmus Falk scored the third goal in Copenhagen’s circular past victory and will be tasked with ignoring Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right side of United’s defence.
Rasmus Falk end will watch to keep Aaron Wan-Bissaka busy on Monday night
The 28-year-old graduated from the same youth formula as Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen at Odense Boldklub and is as interested in creating goals as he is.
If you can lift the ball in the last third, its low center of gravity and fast feet can cause disruption to United’s defense.
Mikkel Kaufmann
Teenage striker Mikkel Kaufmann signed for Copenhagen in January after being Aalborg BK’s most sensible goalscorer in the first part of the season.
Teen striker Mikkel Kaufmann has been at Erling Braut Haaland this season
The 19-year-old has Erling Braut Haaland umbrellas around him. It may not be the fastest of the players, but it is clinical in the penalty area.
Like Wind, Kaufmann is approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, which poses a risk in the air, while his long legs also give him credit for defenders.
Miguel Santos
Uruguayan striker Michael Santos had a first season in Denmark, after joining La Liga in Malaga for around 2 million pounds.
The 27-year-old is one of Copenhagen’s most sensitive goalscorers this season, scoring nine goals in 34 games in all competitions.
Michael Santos (right) scored and then boosted a policeman in Copenhagen’s 3-1 win to Celtic
However, Santos has a burning character to him and knocked down a Scottish policeman while celebrating a purpose when Copenhagen pulled Celtic out of the festival in February.
The Uruguayan suffers a bloating in the thigh and is still left for Monday’s draw with Manchester United.
Zeca
Copenhagen captain Zeca can work in the field blindfolded, literally!
The 31-year-old dominated the midfield in the 3–1 Europa League win away from Celtic the previous season, and did so even though he could not see.
The Portuguese midfielder was punched in the face from the start and struggled with his vision of the match.
Copenhagen captain Zeca (left) is the Danish midfielder’s beating centre
After completing the 90 minutes, Zeca said, ”Sometimes I’m afraid to put the ball in the middle of the area in case I lost it.
“It’s very difficult. I’m so frustrated and nervous about making a mistake that it can take a goal from us. But the other players were amazing. They talked all the time and cheered me on.
“It’s great to see and listen and I stayed in the area for them. It’s a complicated situation, but I wasn’t wrong.
“Now we have to see how things happen and communicate with the doctor. Let’s hope it disappears on its own.
And there are names that English enthusiasts will also recognize …
While Copenhagen has dangerous men at the most sensitive end of the field, there will be familiar faces for English football enthusiasts in the rest of the Danish club team.
Manchester United will face a reunion with former right-backer Guillermo Varela, who played 11 times for Louis van Gaal’s United in the 2015–16 season.
In defence of Copenhagen is Guillermo Varela, who played 11 times at United Van Gaal
Copenhagen has Bryan Oviedo, who scored the winning goal for Everton at Old Trafford in 2013
Everton and Sunderland enthusiasts will recognize left-back Brian Oviedo, who joined Copenhagen at the start of the season. The defender scored the purpose of the victory in a Premier League draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2013.
The 30-year-old played 68 times for the Toffees between 2012 and 2016, while being part of the Black Cats team that suffered a double Premier League relegation.
Meanwhile, Vice-Captain Andreas Bjelland spent three years in Brentford before joining Copenhagen in the summer of 2018. The defender scored only once in his time in Griffin Park.
Vice-Captain Andreas Bjelland spent 3 years in Brentford returning to Denmark
Comments below have been moderated.
Edited through Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and Metro Media Group