Midtjylland vs Santa Coloma

MHC Arena sets the stage for the return leg of a one-sided Champions League qualifying tie between Midtjylland and Santa Coloma.

Midtjylland’s progression into the Champions League third qualifying round is a mere formality ahead of the kick-off following the Danish champions’ overwhelming 3-0 first-leg win in Andorra. Despite steamrolling to a clear-cut triumph against sub-par opposition, the Wolves haven’t fared well at the start of the new campaign, drawing both league matches against Aarhus and Nordsjelland after failing to keep a clean sheet in the first half. Though they’ll likely advance to the third qualifying stage for the fourth time on the trot, Thomas Thomasberg’s men must build momentum ahead of the next round. They can turn to their four-game unbeaten home streak in all competitions for inspiration (W2, D2). It’s also worth noting that they’ve netted 2+ goals in all seven competitive home outings in 2024.

In the meantime, Santa Coloma must pull off a memorable comeback to reach the Champions League third qualifying round for the first time in the club’s history. However, to do so, the visitors would need to post their first-ever European win on the road, not to mention score at least three goals. Indeed, Los Colomencs have lost 18 of their 21 away games on the continental front since making their European debut in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup campaign (D3), including three out of four by 2+ goals ‘to nil’ before shockingly picking up a 1-0 win at Ballkani in the opening Champions League qualifying round. Damage limitation will likely be at the forefront of Santa Coloma’s minds, and they can draw heart from conceding under 1.5 goals on their last nine competitive travels.