FC Copenhagen — Basel : Match Preview and Prediction for August 27,2025

Team Overview: FC Copenhagen

The Danish football club has made a strong start in their Champions League campaign, securing a valuable 1-1 draw against Basel in the first leg of the decisive qualifying round at St. Jakob-Park. Jacob Neestrup’s squad has been impeccable at home in this Champions League edition, remaining unbeaten and flawless, conceding no goals while securing comfortable victories (2-0 against Kosovan side Drita, and a dominant 5-0 win over Swedish neighbours Malmö). At Parken, the Danish champions are simply unstoppable.

First Leg Performance: Copenhagen’s Resilience

Reflecting on the initial encounter against the RotBlau, Gabriel’s goal just before halftime, a swift response to Shaqiri’s penalty, somewhat disrupted the Swiss side’s rhythm, making them appear less incisive in the second half. Copenhagen even found the net late in the game through Cornelius, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Current Form and Injury Update: FC Copenhagen

Furthermore, over the weekend, a rotated Copenhagen squad also drew 1-1 against Odense in a domestic fixture, equalizing late in the game thanks to Gabriel. However, it’s clear their minds are fully on the return leg against Basel. For the second leg against the Swiss champions, the hosts will be without Delaney (a significant loss for the midfield), Hojer, and Achouri, while Moalem remains a doubt.

Team Overview: Basel’s Recent History

Last season, Basel achieved a domestic double in Switzerland, a feat not seen from the RotBlau in quite some time. However, disagreements with the management saw the esteemed Fabio Celestini depart for CSKA Moscow, and the visitors are now led by another former ‘Alpines’ midfielder, Ludovic Magnin.

Current Form and Squad Issues: Basel

Under Magnin, the team has been playing in a highly inconsistent manner, with 2 wins and 2 losses in the league; notably, all their Super League defeats have occurred on the road (1-3 against Lugano and 1-2 against St. Gallen). Moreover, the RotBlau have conceded in all six of their matches this season, indicating that Magnin and his new squad are evidently struggling to find defensive balance. Ruegg, van Bremen, and the Ghanaian Adjei, who was sent off in the first leg (a key defender for Basel early this season), will miss the return fixture.