This is our first match against FC Copenhagen in European competition - but we have faced the Danish Superliga side before.
That encounter came over 21 years ago - 15 July 2004 - at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of the 30th anniversary of the Gothia Cup youth tournament. The second of our three-match training camp in Sweden, it resulted in a 2-2 draw. We also played Falkenbergs (1-1) and Trollhattan (0-1).
Alvaro Santos gave the reigning Danish champions a fourth minute lead which Dean Richards levelled in the 27th minute. Jermain Defoe put us 2-1 ahead but Thomas Roll equalised in the 76th minute. The crowd figure was 15,104.
Here's how we lined up that day: Keller, Carr, Taricco, Davis, Bunjevcevic, Richards, Davies (Marney 62), Brown, Defoe, Keane, Jackson (Ricketts 70). Substitutes (not used): Fulop, Mabizela, Yeates, Kelly, Doherty, McKie, Hughes, Barnard.
Pictured above: Jermain Defoe in action against FC Copenhagen in Gothenburg in 2004...
Comeback vs Aalborg | 2007
We've come up against Danish opposition just once on the European stage - and it took quite a comeback to topple Aalborg in the group stage of the Europa League at the Lane back in November, 2007. Goals from Thomas Enevoldsen and Kasper Risgard saw the visitors 2-0 up at half-time. However, a tactical switch from Juande Ramos as we moved to a 3-5-2 system did the trick as Dimitar Berbatov, Steed Malbranque and Darren Bent completely turned it around by the hour mark. That's how it stayed - and we'd progress to the quarter-finals that campaign before we were agonisingly beaten on penalties by PSV.
Our line-up vs Aalborg: Robinson, Lee (Bent 45), Chimbonda, Dawson, Bale, Lennon, Jenas (Huddlestone 45), Zokora, Malbranque, Keane, Berbatov (Boateng 74). Substitutes (not used): Cerny, Tainio, Stalteri, Taarabt.
Familiar PL foe for Copenhagen...
While we've only faced one Danish opponent in European competition, this MD4 encounter will represent FC Copenhagen's 20th match against English opposition - most recently losing out to Chelsea in the Conference League in March.
Our results vs the Danes...