FC Midtjylland welcome newly-promoted Hvidovre to the MCH Arena on Friday as the 2023-24 Danish Superliga season gets underway.
The three-time champions endured a below-par 2022-23 campaign, while the Old Giants finally ended a lengthy spell outside the top flight.
Match preview
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FC Midtjylland dominated Danish football between 2014-15 and 2021-22, claiming three Superliga titles while also finishing as runners-up on three occasions, but the Jutland outfit failed to live up to expectations last term.
In fact, Midtjylland found themselves in eighth place at the end of the 2022-23 regular season, and they eventually finished seventh after a much-needed managerial change.
Former Midtjylland midfielder Thomas Thomasberg took the managerial job in March 2023, having made over 100 appearances for the club between 1999 and 2004, and the 48-year-old swiftly turned things around.
Having suffered a solitary defeat in 11 matches at the end of last season – picking up eight wins and two draws in the process – Thomasberg will be determined to pick up where he left off last term.
Earlier this month, however, the Wolves suffered a 2-1 friendly defeat to Aalborg BK, who were relegated from the Superliga last season after finishing rock bottom of the table, so Midtjylland will be eager to hit the ground running.
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Having languished in the second and third tiers of Danish football for many years, Hvidovre are back in the big time thanks to a successful promotion bid last term.
After finishing the 2022-23 regular season with a record of 13 wins, five draws and four losses, the Old Giants clinched the second and final automatic promotion spot, finishing two points inside the top two and nine points shy of Vejle.
On top of that, Per Frandsen's men were the highest scorers in the second tier last season, netting 65 goals in 32 matches, and they also ended the campaign with the second-best defensive record.
Like Midtjylland, Hvidovre have won three top-flight titles over the years, although the Old Giants triumphed in 1966, 1973 and 1981, while the Wolves achieved their first success in 2015 and their most recent in 2020.
It is worth pointing out that Hvidovre's only previous meetings with Midtjylland came during the 1999-00 second-tier campaign, with both sides claiming away victories that season.
Team News
FC Midtjylland have made multiple signings this summer, bringing in Sverrir Ingi Ingason from PAOK Salonika, Gue-sung Cho from Jeonbuk Hyundai and Kristoffer Olsson from Anderlecht, in addition to the free transfers of Franculino, Iver Fossum and Oscar Hedvall.
No player scored more Superliga goals than Gustav Isaksen's 15 last season, and the 22-year-old winger is again expected to play a key role for the Wolves in 2023-24.
Uruguayan defensive midfielder Emiliano Martinez will likely operate in the engine room on Friday, while striker Sory Kaba could feature after returning from a successful loan spell at Cardiff City, where he scored eight goals in 17 games.
Naturally, Hvidovre have strengthened their squad in preparation for top-flight football, with Nicolai Geersten, Mads Kaalund, Mathias Ghert, Jeffrey Adjei-Broni, Adrian Kappenberger and Jonas Gemmer all arriving at the club.
Marcus Lindberg was the star of the show for the Old Giants last term, bagging 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions, while Fredrik Carlsen notched 10 goals and six assists before moving to Silkeborg.
FC Midtjylland possible starting lineup:
Lossl; Andersson, Gartenmann, Juninho, Paulinho; Sorensen, Martinez, Olsson, Gigovic; Isaksen, Simsir
Hvidovre possible starting lineup:
Djukic; Iljazovski, Olsen, Stenderup, Nielsen; Spelmann, Gemmer, Kaalund; Smed, Jakobsen, Lindberg
We say: FC Midtjylland 3-0 Hvidovre
A baptism of fire is on the cards for newly-promoted Hvidovre, who look set to suffer a heavy defeat on their return to top-flight action, with FC Midtjylland expected to secure a comfortable clean-sheet victory.
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