The final qualifying round of the Champions League starts this week. There is a lot at stake and the quality of the teams involved gets up a notch. The winners of these ties will progress to the Champions League Playoffs, which will be played on August 19/20 and the second ties a week later. We have prepared two top betting picks. You could combine them into a parlay bet for even better odds. First we have a Scandinavian derby between Malmö and Copenhagen. The second big game is between Rangers and Viktoria Pilzen.
Malmo v Copenhagen Prediction
Let’s start our top Champions League betting picks for today with the Scandinavian derby. The champions of Sweden and Denmark go head to head on Tuesday at the Eleda stadium in Malmö. Malmö is actually the third largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg. The stadium has a capacity of 21,000. You can expect a full house for the Champions League qualifier on Tuesday.
The Swedish champions eliminated RFS with a 5:1 aggregate score in the second round. In the third round, they eliminated Iberia 1999 by 6:2 on aggregate. Copenhagen entered the Champions League qualifiers directly in the third round and won comfortably by 3:0 against Drita.
Malmö’s manager is Henrik Rydstrom, who was appointed back in 2022, so there is some continuity there. He used to play as a defensive midfielder for Calmar.
One clear advantage Malmö has is that they are in full form. The reigning Swedish champs are halfway through the season in the Allsvenskan. However, they won’t be able to repeat their title winning feat from last year as they are currently fourth in the standings. Malmö are 10 points behind first-placed Mjällby AIF. Malmö have collected just 33 points from 18 matches. In comparison, Coppenhagen have played just three league games thus far. Yet, they won all three and are currently first in the Danish league.
In order to come up with today’s top football betting pick, it’s crucial to look at how both clubs performed in Europe last season. Malmö played in the Europa League. Although they failed to qualify for the knockouts, they had some good results. The lone win came away to Qarabag by 1:2. Two draws at home, both by a 2:2 scoreline against Galatasaray and Slavia Prague. Meanwhile, Copenhagen took part in the Conference League and reached the round of 16. It was a better output by the Danish side, but they did play in the weaker competition.
Here is one interesting fact about Malmö. By law, every Swedish football club must be owned by its fans, by at least 51%. Well, Malmo is 100% owned by its members. This gives them real voice not just at the stands. They also have a say in the decision making.
Malmö will be looking to name an unchanged side from the one that defeated RFS by 1:0 in their last Champions League qualifier. Pontus Jansson and Andrej Duric are set to keep their places in the center of their defnse. Anders Christiansen is out with an injury, so Oliver Berg and Otto Rosengren should start in midfield. Bad news is that striker Erik Botheim has been ruled out. Sead Haksabanovic and Taha Ali should lead the front line.
Copenhagen have the stronger team. They have Andreas Cornelius in the center of their attack, and he is a well known name in Europe. Calcio fans know him well, although he did not exactly set the Seria A on fire during his spells in Atalanta and Parma. Their best player is Mohamed Elyounoussi, and he is an absolute gem. He is fast and technical, and I expect him to leave his mark on this tie. Their third forward is young Frenchman Elias Achouri. Again, fast and good with the ball. Another well known name part of Copenhagen’s squad is Thomas Delaney. The former Bundesliga star is expected to pull the strings in midfield.
Malmö Expected Starting 11: Olsen; Rosler, Jansson, Duric, Busanello; Larsen, Rosengren, Berg, Bolin; Haksabanovic, Ali
Copenhagen Expected Starting 11: Kotarski; Pereira, Hatzidiakos, Garananga; Huescas, Lerager, Delaney, Meling; Elyounoussi, Achouri; Cornelius
I expect a well-balanced tie with some goals in it. Register and become a BetOnWins member to get our top betting pick for this game.
Betting Pick: 2 or 3 Goals @ 1.95
Rangers v Viktoria Pilzen Prediction
Another very good tie, which should produce plenty of drama. Rangers are the obvious favorites, but don’t underestimate the Czechs. I watched Viktoria’s previous games against Servette and accurately predicted the second leg. This helped me earn a serious profit, so I’m looking forward to their visit in Scotland.
