Molde are set to host Legia Warsaw at the Aker Stadion on Thursday evening for the first leg of their Conference League last-16 matchup.
The hosts defeated Shamrock Rovers on penalties in the knockout playoff round, while the visitors placed seventh in the League Phase to advance directly to this stage.
Match preview
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Molde dropped into the Conference League after suffering a narrow 4-2 penalty defeat to Elfsborg after a 1-1 aggregate draw in the Europa League qualifying playoff round.
They faced huge challenges in the League Phase of the competition, narrowly securing their progression into the knockout playoffs as they placed 23rd in the table, only inside the top 24 on goal difference.
Molde secured two wins, one draw and three defeats from their six matches, leaving them with seven points, and their struggles continued in the knockout playoff round.
Per Mathias Hogmo, in charge since January 2025, lost 1-0 to Shamrock Rovers in his first competitive match in charge, but they were able to battle back to narrowly win 5-4 on penalties after a second leg victory.
Now aiming to progress deeper into the competition, Molde will take on a Legia Warsaw side that impressed during the League Phase of their Conference League campaign.
Legia defeated Caernarfon Town, Brondby and Drita in their Conference League qualifying matches, and they enjoyed a similarly strong league phase, winning four and losing two of their six matches.
Those results ensured they placed inside the top eight, securing a seventh-placed finish with 12 points, meaning they qualified directly to this round of the competition.
Legia are enjoying a strong run since their return from the winter break, winning three, drawing one and losing two of their six games, and they will be hopeful of securing a victory against a struggling Molde.
Team News
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The hosts will be without the services of Casper Oyvann due to a knee injury that has ruled him out since November 2024, with his return not due until later this month.
Isak Helstad Amundsen will also be unavailable for Molde after the central defender was dismissed for two yellow card offences in the second leg win against Shamrock Rovers.
As for the visitors, Jan Leszcynski is out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury, while Luquinhas and Radovan Pankov will join him on the sidelines due to injury issues.
Following their 3-1 victory against Slask Wroclaw last time out, Goncalo Feio may decide to name a similar starting team in Thursday's first leg.
Molde possible starting lineup:
Karlstrom; Stenevik, Lund, Haugan, Linnes; Daehli, Breivik; Eriksen, Eikrem, Kaasa; Gulbrandsen
Legia Warsaw possible starting lineup:
Kovacevic; Wszolek, Jedrzejczyk, Kapuadi, Vinagre; Chodyna, Kapustka, Oyedele, Gual, Morishita; Shkurin
We say: Molde 1-2 Legia Warsaw
The hosts have struggled at times in Europe this season, while Legia established themselves as one of the top teams during the League Phase, and we expect the visitors to win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
