Burkina Faso
Friendly Games
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Aarhusvs.Midtjylland

sportsmole.co.uk, 17 July 2024, 22:59
Danish champions FC Midtjylland get their Superliga title defence underway when they journey to the Ceres Park Arena to face Aarhus in the season curtain-raiser on Friday.

This will be the second meeting between the two sides within the space of two weeks, with the Ulvene storming to a 4-0 victory when they squared off in pre-season on July 4.

Match preview

Aarhus failed in their bid to return to Europe as they secured a fifth-placed finish in the Championship Round last season following a disappointing second half of the campaign.

Uwe Rosler's men picked nine wins and nine draws from their first 22 matches to collect 36 points and end the regular season in the top half of the table, securing a spot in the Championship playoffs for the second consecutive year.

However, Aarhus ran out of steam at the business end of the campaign where they picked up just eight points from their final 10 matches to finish fifth in the table, 15 points adrift of the Conference League playoff spot.

Two back-to-back victories saw De Hvii'e end the season on a positive note as they beat Copenhagen 3-2 at home on May 21, five days before securing a 3-2 win over Brondby at the Brondby Stadion in the season finale.

Aarhus head into the new campaign off the back of a solid pre-season, where they went unbeaten in three of their four matches, claiming one draw and two wins, including Saturday's 2-1 victory over English outfit Luton Town.

Midtjylland, on the other hand, were crowned Danish champions for the first time since the 2019-2020 campaign in dramatic fashion as they clinched the league title on the final day of the season.

Tied on 62 points with Brondby heading into the season final, the Ulvene scored three second-half goals to secure a 3-3 draw against Copenhagen, with Brondby suffering a shock 3-2 loss to Aarhus at the Ceres Park Arena.

Midtjylland had led the league after the first phase of the season with 48 points from 22 matches before picking up four wins and three draws in the Championship Round to finish the campaign with 63 points, one point above runners-up Brondby.

Like Friday's hosts, Thomas Thomasberg's men picked up two wins and one draw in their four pre-season games, with their only defeat coming in the final warm-up match as they were beaten 3-1 by Swiss outfit Sturm Graz last Saturday.

Midtjylland will be backing themselves to begin their title defence on a positive note as they take on an opposing side who have failed to win any of their last six meetings, including four defeats in their four encounters this year.

Aarhus Danish Superliga form:

L

L

L

L

W

W

FC Midtjylland Danish Superliga form:

L

W

W

W

D

D

Team News

Aarhus will head into the season opener without several players down the spine of the team as Tobias Anker, Janni Serra and Mikkel Duelund are all recuperating from injuries.

Experienced midfielder Tobias Molgaard has been out of action since coming off with a severe injury against Odense in March and the 27-year-old will play no part in Friday's game.

They are joined on the club's injury table by 23-year-old midfielder Kevin Yakob, who continues his long journey to full fitness after suffering an ACL injury in June 2023.

Aarhus have completed the signings of teenage striker Richmond Gyamfi, while Swedish goalkeeper Leopold Wahlstedt could make his debut after recently completing a move from English side Blackburn Rovers.

As for Midtjylland, Thomasberg will be unable to call upon the services of South Korean forward Gue-sung Cho, who has been ruled out since coming off with a knee injury against Silkeborg in May.

Brazilian striker Marrony has been out of action since sustaining a severe injury last September and the 25-year-old is also out of contention for Friday's game.

Midtjylland have been active in the summer transfer window, bringing in Denil Castillo, goalkeeper Elias Olafsson, former Arsenal youngster Ovie Ejeheri and 28-year-old striker Adam Buksa, who netted one goal in two appearances for Poland in the just-concluded European Championship.

Aarhus possible starting lineup:

Wahlstedt; Dalsgaard, Tingager, Abbew; Bejimo, Links, Poulsen, Madsen, Bech; Mortensen, Anderson

FC Midtjylland possible starting lineup:

Olafsson; Anderson, Juninho, Bech, Paulinho; Brynhildsen, Sorensen, Charles, Castillo; Buksa, Dju

We say: Aarhus 1-3 FC Midtjylland

Aarhus are in for a tough 90 minutes against a well-drilled Midtjylland side, who have won each of their last four meetings and have lost just one game across all competitions since the start of May. While we expect the hosts to put up a fight, Thomasberg's men boast the firepower needed to get the job done and we are backing them to come away with all three points.

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reported to have made an opening offer for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres as they look to build a title-winning side. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly braced for approaches for Bruno Fernandes from Al-Hilal despite Ruben Amorim's insistence that the captain is not for sale. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Notts County's League One promotion hopes took a major blow having been defeated by AFC Wimbledon - with star man Alassana Jatta adding to their woes. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Harry Kane was front and centre of celebrations at the Allianz Arena as Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga trophy. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the match as Aston Villa recorded a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in Saturday's Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Unai Emery's tactics often leaves rival clubs puzzled - and his pre-match interview had the same effect ahead of Aston Villa's clash at Bournemouth. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Southampton have been branded as 'embarrassing' by talkSPORT's Jamie O'Hara following their post-match antics against Manchester City. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta must take one particular lesson from Liverpool counterpart Arne Slot as the pair prepare to meet in Sunday's headline Premier League battle at Anfield. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton & Hove Albion took one step closer to a top-half finish in the Premier League by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Molineux on Saturday afternoon. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have confirmed their squad for Sunday's La Liga clash against Barcelona, with Rodrygo returning following an illness, but six players are on the sidelines through injuries. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have experienced more success against the best sides with Luis Diaz starting as a number nine, and he has done enough to have earned his place against Arsenal, Reds expert David Lynch has argued. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly complete a spectacular return to Sporting Lisbon this summer, with the legendary forward viewed as a potential replacement for Viktor Gyokeres. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Celtic legend Scott Brown has raised question marks over his own managerial future at Ayr United after their promotion hopes were ended. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Gary Lineker has detailed his job offers from television companies as he prepares to leave Match of the Day. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford emerged as 1-0 victors against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon at Portman Road in the Premier League, keeping their European hopes alive. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Everton came from behind to record a 3-1 victory over Fulham in Saturday afternoon's Premier League contest at Craven Cottage. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City missed the chance to move level on points with second-placed Arsenal as they were held to a goalless draw by a spirited Southampton side at St Mary's in the Premier League. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Mikel Arteta loves unusual methods to get ahead of his rivals, so there's no doubt at all the Arsenal manager is all over AI. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk A top-of-the-table clash with nothing serious at stake for the league leaders, Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, in the main event of Premier League gameweek 36. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Chelsea have become the first Women's Super League team to go unbeaten across a 22-game season. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth and Aston Villa have announced their starting lineups for Saturday's Premier League game. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City could reportedly be handed a boost in their Morgan Gibbs-White transfer mission by Liverpool, as Nottingham Forest have identified a Reds man as a possible successor to the Englishman. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has branded Xabi Alonso "one of the best in the world" amid suggestions that the Bayer Leverkusen manager is heading for Bernabeu. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered the running to sign Manchester City midfielder James McAtee this summer, but they will face stiff competition for the playmaker. 10 May 2025 talksport.com Mohamed Salah has admitted there was 'tension' between himself and Sadio Mane during their spell together at Liverpool. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly commenced conversations with Leandro Trossard over a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona and Real Madrid will lock horns on Sunday afternoon in the latest instalment of El Clasico. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk AC Milan have reportedly decided to pursue a permanent deal for Manchester City loanee Kyle Walker. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa have reportedly decided against a permanent move for Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi. 10 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal will be at risk of setting a new club unwanted record in the Premier League when they take on Liverpool in Sunday's tantalising top-of-the-table clash at Anfield.