In the first matchweek of the revamped Europa League, Danish champions FC Midtjylland are set to host German side Hoffenheim on Wednesday at MCH Arena.
The Europa League group stage has been replaced by a 36-team league phase in which every side will play eight times, with the top eight progressing automatically to the round of 16 and the next 16 clubs competing in a playoff round.
Match preview
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The hosts qualified for the league phase of the Europa League after they lost 4-3 on aggregate against Slovan Bratislava in the fourth and final qualifying round of the Champions League.
Midtjylland's 3-2 loss in the second leg on August 28 will be particularly disappointing given they had taken a 2-1 lead in the 50th minute after Franculino Dju scored his side's second of the game, but Slovan Bratislava managed to equalise in the 82nd minute and find a winner in the 86th minute.
The Wolves last competed in the Europa League in the 2022-23 season and finished second in their group with eight points from six games, but they were eliminated from the competition in the knockout round playoffs when they lost 5-1 on aggregate against Sporting Lisbon in February 2023.
Manager Thomas Thomasberg's side are currently first in the Danish Superliga with 21 points from their first nine league games and are the only unbeaten team left in their division.
Thomasberg's team have only lost once in their last 21 competitive matches, winning 13 times and drawing on seven occasions.
Midtjylland's record at home is impressive given they have won eight and drawn three of their last 11 competitive games at MCH Arena, and to their credit they have won three, drawn three and lost just one of their seven most recent Europa League fixtures at home.
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Opponents Hoffenheim's seventh-placed finish last term only secured them a spot in the Conference League, but Bayer Leverkusen's DFB Pokal win meant the cup competition's Europa League qualification spot was transferred to the Bundesliga.
The visitors last competed in the Europa League in 2020-21, a campaign in which they topped their group unbeaten with 16 points from a possible 18, before being eliminated by Molde in the round of 32 after losing 5-3 in February 2021.
Hoffenheim had taken a 2-0 and 3-1 lead against Molde in the first leg on February 18, but they went on to draw 3-3 thanks to second-half goals from Eirik Andersen and David Datro Fofana.
Though boss Pellegrino Matarazzo will have been pleased with his side's seventh-placed league finish in 2023-24 considering they had finished 12th in 2022-23, he will be concerned that his team are currently 15th and have lost three and won just one of their four Bundesliga matches so far this season.
Of the 18 teams in the division, Die Kraichgauer have created the 13th fewest big chances and conceded the second most xG.
Hoffenheim lost their last match 2-1 against Union Berlin on September 21, and have lost their last three competitive matches by a cumulative score of 9-3.
To add to this, the visitors have been poor on the road for some time, and have lost 11 of their last 16 games away from home.
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Team News
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FC Midtjylland will certainly be without midfielders Mikel Gogorza and Oliver Sorensen, who are both expected to be unavailable until the middle of next month.
However, the hosts have numerous doubts for the match as well, including Adam Buksa and Adam Gabriel, both of whom are set to return from injury in the next few days but may not recover in time.
Forwards Gue-Sung Cho and winger Marrony as well as defenders Juninho and Paulinho could return after enforced absences, though they face a race against time to be declared fit for Wednesday's encounter.
Midfielder Emiliano Martinez was substituted due to injury during his side's most recent match on September 22, and he is unlikely to feature.
As for the visitors, centre-back Ozan Kabak and midfielder Grischa Promel will not be available until February and May next year respectively due to cruciate ligament injuries.
Forward Ihlas Bebou is also expected to miss out until December for Hoffenheim, while Finn Ole Becker and Dennis Geiger are scheduled to return in October.
David Jurasek is nearing a return after breaking his arm but is unlikely to be risked, although Florian Grillitsch could be available should he recover from illness.
Anton Stach could partner Tom Bischof in a midfield double pivot and help provide a platform for in-form attacker Andrej Kramaric, who has scored four goals in the league.
FC Midtjylland possible starting lineup:
Olafsson; Andersson, Diao, Sorensen, Mbabu; Osorio, Bravo, Castillo, Simsir; Dju, Kuchta
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Drexler, Hranac, Akpoguma; Kaderabek, Stach, Bischof, Prass; Kramaric; Bulter, Berisha
We say: FC Midtjylland 1-1 Hoffenheim
Given the sheer number of absentees for both sides, Wednesday's match could be a somewhat uninspiring affair, with neither team taking too many risks.
Kramaric may find the back of the net to open the scoring, but considering Hoffenheim's poor away record, it would be surprising if they held on and claimed all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
