Neestrup: We want to beat Køge while keeping squad balance

Jacob Neestrup says his F.C. Copenhagen players are fired up for tonight's Danish Cup clash at HB Køge, where he has named a strong squad for the trip.

FCK have won the Danish Cup nine times - most recently in 2023 as part of the famous Double.

The Lions enter into the third round of this season's Cup competition tonight and the head coach has his sights set on victory.

"We are looking forward to getting started with the cup because it's an important tournament for us that we would very much like to win again," says Neestrup.

"We remember our previous cup final days, and all the times when we have stood on the podium, but we also remember the times when we have been knocked out too early. That is why we'll field a competitive team even during this busy period.

"It's a balance between using the breadth of our squad and making the changes that make sense to maintain the dynamism in the overall playing group. We need to maintain the continuity and stability of play that we've shown with recent good performances, which we must build on.

"We have to assume that we will be in command for large parts of the match, but we also respect that it is a huge match for HB Køge and a kind of free hit for them during a tough period in the 1st Division.

"You always have to respect that there can be surprises, so we have to go there and focus on the game from the start, in the same way as we did on Monday against AaB."

The match marks Neestrup's 100th as FCK head coach.

Meanwhile, Lions captain Viktor Claesson is looking forward to tonight's 7pm kick off.

"It's a cup game and they're not always easy. But we have to go out there and give a good performance and win. Hopefully there won't be extra time and we can win in 90 minutes. We feel things are going in the right direction and we must build on the good display from Monday's match against AaB," says Claesson.

"We all remember when we last won the cup in 2023 and that's what we're looking to do again. It's a very important tournament for us. To get to the final you need to win every game, so we'll all be ready here. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting some good minutes in my legs too."