Midtjylland: Attacking and successful

Following a four-year absence, TSG Hoffenheim will begin their Europa League adventure away to an internationally experienced club. Since their first qualification for the UEFA Cup in 2001, the Danish club have – with a few exceptions – been regular participants in European competition. Midtjylland’s continental highlight was their qualification for the Champions League in the 2020/21 campaign, when the club were eliminated in the group stages but did manage to hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on their own patch. They were hoping to return to the top competition again this season but after victories against UE Santa Coloma and Ferencvaros, the Danish outfit were knocked out by Slovan Bratislava in the final qualifying round after a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 defeat.

That means Midtjylland are again in the Europa League, in which their biggest success to date has been reaching the knockout round play-offs: they lost to Sporting in 2022/23 (1-1, 4-0 loss) and Manchester United in 2015/16 (2-1 win, 5-1 loss). The club are now finally aiming to stay in the competition for longer in the new format – and there is great self-belief: Midtjylland won their fourth Danish league title last year and the Herning-based outfit sit unbeaten at the top of the table once again with 21 points from nine rounds of matches. However, they fluffed their lines in their dress rehearsal prior to the game against Hoffenheim: they were held to 2-2 stalemate away to mid-table Randers.

But the league leaders could at least count on their top players in attack away to the team in sixth spot in the table. Centre-forward Franculino scored the goal to equalise at 1-1, registering what is already his seventh competitive goal of the campaign, while left-winger Aral Sismir made it 2-2 – it was the fifth goal scored by the 22-year-old, who also has four assists. Completing the top scorer line-up is right-winger Edward Chilufya, 25, who has three goals and four assists.

The champions’ attacking drive is particularly evident on the right flank, where midfielder Oliver Sörensen (5/2) and defender Adam Gabriel (1/2) consistently pose a threat behind Chilufya. But it is former Wolfsburg and Augsburg player Kevin Mbabu, a signing from from Fulham at the end of August, who has played there in the back four in the last two matches.

The attack was given a last-minute boost by the arrival of Jan Kuchta: the EURO participant for Czechia made the move to Denmark from Sparta Prague and has registered three scorer points in his first four appearances (1/2). Another European Championship participant, Polish centre-forward Adam Buska, was also signed. The 28-year-old arrived from Lens on the back of a goal in the 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands at the finals. He has already notched three goals in four league matches for Midtjylland.

In contrast to its well-functioning attack, the team of coach Thomas Thomasberg (49) – which always lines up in an attacking 4-4-2 formation – has struggled in defence: Midtjylland have conceded at least one goal in each of their last five league games.