Aarhus and Sabah FC Set for Open, High-Scoring First Leg

Aarhus lined up in a 3-4-2-1 in their previous Champions League qualifier, with Poulsen leading the line and Tobias Bech and Christian Essen supporting as attacking midfielders. That combination had already produced two goals by the middle of the match, while centre-back Frederik Tingager added another after the break. They won 3-0 in regulation time and eventually came through on penalties to complete the comeback.

Sabah FC used a 4-3-3 in their previous Champions League qualifier, with Vaqif Javadov, Joy-Lance Mickels and Karim Rossi forming the front three. They were level at 0-0 in the first half, but the trio stepped up after the interval and struck twice, helping the Azerbaijani side beat their opponents again and progress through the round.

Aarhus will be without defenders Tobias Mølgaard and Nikolaj Poulsen through injury, while Sabah FC have no reported injuries or suspensions.

In terms of recent form, Danish side Aarhus beat Poland's Lech Poznan 3-0 away in their last Champions League qualifier. The tie finished 4-4 on aggregate and remained level after extra time before Aarhus advanced via a penalty shootout, underlining their all-action style at both ends of the pitch. They then kept the same attack-minded approach in the league, and should look to seize the initiative in this first leg.

Sabah FC won 2-0 away to KuPS in their previous qualifier, going through 3-0 on aggregate and showing decent attacking quality. They have also scored regularly away from home in the first two qualifying rounds, so this match could develop into a high-scoring contest.

The two teams have not met in recent years.