Leverkusen Boss Faces Copenhagen! Champions League Drama Unfolds!

Bayer Leverkusen's new coach, Kasper Hjulmand, is set for a potentially emotional Champions League opener against FC Copenhagen. Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes believes facing Copenhagen will be a significant moment for Hjulmand, who took over from Erik ten Hag earlier this month.

Hjulmand's tenure began with a 3-1 Bundesliga victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Now, his attention turns to the Champions League, with a trip back to his native Denmark to face Copenhagen.

Hjulmand coached Denmark for four years, leading them to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and overseeing their World Cup 2022 and Euro 2024 campaigns.

Rolfes remarked, "I think Kasper is extremely happy. In the first call that we had, I immediately told him: 'The first away match in the Champions League is in Copenhagen, right on your doorstep – you are probably more prepared for it than anyone else'."

Unfortunately for Leverkusen, Nathan Tella will miss the Copenhagen clash due to a knee injury. His absence could provide opportunities for Eliesse Ben Seghir and Claudio Echeverri to make their first starts for the club, alongside Malik Tillman. Kasper Hjulmand is expected to rotate the squad given their upcoming Bundesliga match on Sunday.

Robert Andrich and Equi Fernandez are slated to start in midfield, as they are suspended for the upcoming Bundesliga game against Borussia Monchengladbach due to red cards received against Eintracht Frankfurt. This ensures they'll be fresh for the league match against St. Pauli on September 27.

Leverkusen enjoyed a relatively successful Champions League campaign last season, winning five of their ten matches. They'll be aiming to surpass that performance this year, drawing inspiration from their 2001-02 season where they reached the final.