FC Copenhagen vs Banik Ostrava prediction 07.08.2024 | Conference League

• Competition: Conference League Qualifiers, 3rd Round, 1st Leg
• Date: Wednesday, 7th August, 2024
• Kickoff: 18:00 UK / 19:00 CEST
• Venue: Parken Stadium (Copenhagen)

On Wednesday evening, FC Copenhagen and Banik Ostrava will face off in the third round of the Conference League Qualifiers. The first leg will take place at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Last year, FC Copenhagen were in a good position to win their 16th comestic league title and third in a row. However, after winning just one point in the last three rounds, FC Copenhagen blew the opportunity and eventually finished third - four points away from the title. Still, they had an excellent run in the Champions League, reaching the knockout phase, but were unlucky to face Manchester City, which eliminated them on a 6:2 aggregate. This year, the popular Lions started the season great, as they easily eliminated Magpies in the second round of the Conference League Qualifiers and are tied for first place in the domestic league by winning seven points in three rounds.

Banik Ostrava are not among the best teams in the Czech Republic, and even securing Europe is a massive success for them. Last year, they finished 4th with 49 points, but 21 points away from 3rd-placed Plzen and an incredible 38 points away from the top spot. It is evident that there is a massive gap in quality between the top three teams (Sparta, Slavia, and Plzen) and the rest of the league. Still, Banik Ostrava managed to win the 2nd round of the Conference League Qualifiers after demolishing Urartu on a 7:1 aggregate. Now, before the first leg against Copenhagen, the bookies consider Ostrava as a big underdog, offering odds around 2.5 for them to reach the next round.

FC Copenhagen vs Banik Ostrava pick: FC Copenhagen to win and cover the -1 AH spread

FC Copenhagen have been pretty good this season, considering they won four of the first five matches. They only failed to win against Randers (1:1) but were a lot better as they had almost 70% ball possession and 31 goal attempts! So, it was a miracle they failed to win, and we could easily speak about a five-game winning streak.

Additionally, FC Copenhagen were excellent in Europe in the last several years, often securing the group and even the knockout phase. So, it goes without saying that the Lions had very few problems against teams in the qualifying rounds. Last year, they managed to secure the knockout phase in the Champions League in a very tough group with Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Galatasaray.

Ostrava also started the season strongly, with three wins in four matches. However, they mostly faced poor teams, much weaker than FC Copenhagen. They are a team with very little experience in Europe, with their last matches before playing against Urartu occurring 14 years ago. So, it is hard to expect they can secure a positive result on the road against FC Copenhagen.

Considering all the above, we believe FC Copenhagen should dominate the game and cover the -1 AH spread.