FC Midtjylland face Sønderjyske after heavy European defeat

FC Midtjylland host Sønderjyske in the Superliga on Sunday, November 8 at 18:00 local time at MCH Arena. The match comes just days after a heavy 6-1 defeat to Ajax in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday.

The team finds itself in a unique position, unbeaten in their last four league games but coming off a significant European setback. They lead the Superliga with 31 points from 13 matches, holding a two-point advantage over FC Copenhagen. Their most recent league victory was a 3-2 away win against FC Nordsjælland a week ago. Their recent form in the league reads four wins and one draw from the last five matches, and they have scored 27 goals while conceding 15 so far this season.

Team News

Against Sønderjyske, the manager is likely to field a side similar to the one that started against Ajax. This included Nordin Bakker in goal, with a defensive line of Ousmane Diao, Mads Bech Sørensen, and Victor Bak Jensen. Rasmus Kristensen and Sofus Johannesen operated on the flanks, while the midfield was controlled by Kjell Wätjen and Philip Billing. Denil Castillo served as the playmaker behind strikers Gue-sung Cho and Friday Etim.

Etim is the club's top scorer this season with six goals in 13 appearances, and he also netted Midtjylland's sole goal in the loss to Ajax. His form will be key to securing three points against a Sønderjyske side currently sitting 12th in the table.

Previous Meeting

The two sides last met in the Superliga on July 26, where FC Midtjylland won 3-2 away from home. It was a match featuring plenty of goals, and a similar pattern could be expected on Sunday. Beyond that league encounter, Midtjylland also won a friendly 6-3 against Sønderjyske back in January.

Sønderjyske's most recent starting lineup, used against Lyngby in September, was in a 4-2-3-1 formation with N. Shinton in goal. Their defence consisted of A. Munksgaard, M. Soulas, P. Kristensen, and E. Duru, while the midfield featured R. Vinderslev and A. Oggesen. The attack was driven by D. Wilkins, M. Haidara, A. Hoeg, and O. De Rosario as the lone striker.

For FC Midtjylland, this match is about recovering from the European defeat and maintaining their position at the top of the Superliga. With a league goal difference of +12, they possess the necessary attacking threat. The clash with Sønderjyske at MCH Arena kicks off at 18:00 on Sunday. Following the Ajax loss, the team will aim to recapture the form that brought them victories such as 2-1 over Odense and 3-2 over Lyngby in late October.