AB Copenhagen saw off Sønderjyske 3-1 in the Danish Cup Round of 32 on Tuesday evening, a result that sends the hosts through while ending their opponents' campaign. The match was played at 16:00 local time on 16 September 2026, and by then Copenhagen were already showing the kind of control that makes these fixtures predictable. To be fair, the visitors had come into the game with momentum from their draw with Lyngby, but this was a different proposition entirely. And here's the thing — you could see the shape of the evening from the first whistle.
Copenhagen dominated possession, holding 75 per cent of the ball and registering 91 attacks compared to Sønderjyske's 95, though the latter numbers tell a different story when you look at context. The visitors made four changes at half-time, bringing on Olesen, Rasmussen, Koudelka and Tambedou, but the shift came too late. Sønderjyske's substitutions at the break were a tactical gamble that never found its rhythm against a Copenhagen side that looked comfortable in their own territory.
The goals came in quick succession after the interval. M. Hoppe opened the scoring in the 57th minute, and C. Grening doubled the lead just four minutes later, putting Copenhagen ahead 2-0 and effectively deciding the tie. J. Fernandes added a third in the 86th minute before S. Diop pulled one back for Sønderjyske in stoppage time. The visitors' consolation goal came too late to salvage anything, and Copenhagen held on grimly to secure their progression.
The statistics paint a clear picture of Copenhagen's dominance — 91 attacks to 95 for the visitors, but with Copenhagen's possession figure of 0.75 meaning they controlled the tempo from start to finish. Sønderjyske managed only four corners to Copenhagen's six, and the possession split tells the real story of a match that was never in doubt. Copenhagen won seven free-kicks to six, but the difference was in who created the chances that mattered.
By then, Copenhagen's recent form had raised questions — three losses on the spin against Hillerød, AGF and Kolding — but this result extends their unbeaten run in cup competition. The prediction had been for Sønderjyske to win, but Copenhagen's control at home was something the visitors could not match. The result means Copenhagen move into the quarter-finals with momentum, while Sønderjyske's campaign comes to an end with four losses in their last five matches.