Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa take on seasoned Danish powerhouses FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round on Tuesday night (20:00).

Rakow, Champions League debutants this season, are one of just two sides left in the competition who started in the first qualifying round.

But now comes the ultimate test against FC Copenhagen, who drew with both Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund in last season’s group stage.

Team news

Left-sided centre-back Milan Rundic is fit again for Rakow after a month off, but fellow stopper Zoran Arsenic is a doubt.

Centre-half Davit Khocholava and striker Andreas Cornelius are both crocked for the Danish side, while defender Denis Vavro is a doubt and new left-back from Rennes, Birgir Meling, is ineligible.

FC Copenhagen to win @ 15/8

Surprise Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa are proving that domestic success is no fluke by replicating their Ekstraklasa heroics on the international stage, but now comes a test that may just be beyond them.

Dawid Szwarga’s men, playing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, are one of just two clubs to have reached the play-off round having begun their campaign in the first qualifying round.

They had little trouble seeing off Estonians Flora in round one and naturally have been tested far more severely by Qarabag and Aris Limassol in the last two rounds.

European distractions have seen them quickly fall of the pace in the early stages of their title defence and none of the three teams they have beaten in Europe were of Copenhagen’s calibre.

The Danes are unbeaten in 14 competitive matches and are determined to get back into the group stage 12 months after they qualified and were duly lumped in with eventual winners Manchester City, eventual Europa League winners Sevilla, and Borussia Dortmund.

They drew at home with all three of those giants.

The other big negative for Rakow is that Uefa have moved the match 80 kilometres down the road to Sosnowiec, watering down any home advantage.

Mohamed Elyounoussi to score anytime @ 10/3

There are no shortage of goalscorer candidates in this free-scoring FC Copenhagen side.

Jacob Neestrup’s men have played nine matches so far this season and scored 24 goals and the Copenhagen head coach does have options galore in the attacking third.

Among the key men at his disposal – and suggested as an anytime scorer punt – is Mohamed Elyounoussi, who has settled in nicely in the Danish capital since his free transfer from Southampton.

The Norwegian wide man struggled for pitch-time and, therefore, goals at St Mary’s, but enjoyed decent goalscoring seasons in the none-too-distant past with the likes of Molde, Basel and Celtic.

Elyounoussi, who started on the right of a front three in the last round at Sparta Prague, was on target in the 2-0 win at Hvidovre on Friday night and can hit the net again in Sosnowiec.