Matchday five in the Europa League will see Group H opponents Molde and Qarabag FK face off in a crucial encounter at Aker Stadion on Thursday evening.
Both sides are currently tied on six points in the group standings, with the hosts currently ahead on goal difference, though they both trail Leverkusen by six points with two games left to play.
Match preview
© Reuters
Eliteserien champions Molde returned from the international break with a solid 3-1 win over Sarpsborg last weekend, which extended their recent run of results to three wins in a row.
Mathias Lovik gave his side a dream start in that match, opening the scoring inside the first minute of play, while Kristoffer Haugen and Niklas Odegard found the net either side of the interval to take Molde to their 15th league win of the season.
The Blue Rascals beat Hacken 3-1 in their last match in this competition, and while they are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, things have been far from smooth this season for the Norwegian outfit.
Before beating Lillestrom leading into the international break, Erling Moe's side suffered a run of four consecutive league defeats, which saw them slip all the way to fifth in the league table, now 17 points behind leaders Bodo/Glimt.
With just one more league game to play and 10 points separating them from European Cup qualification, Molde will have to rely on going all the way in this competition or the Conference League if they are to participate in a continental tournament next term.
© Reuters
Meanwhile, Premyer Liqa champions Qarabag also made a winning return to league action last weekend when they overcame Sabah 2-1, marking their third consecutive league win on the bounce.
That result also saw them move into pole position in their domestic league standings, and they remained there after Zira played out a 0-0 draw away to third-placed Sumqayit a couple of days later.
However, the Horsemen now need to bring their league form into this competition and will be looking to avoid going three losses in a row following back-to-back defeats to Bayer Leverkusen on matchdays three and four.
Gurban Gurbanov's side emerged victorious with a 1-0 scoreline in the reverse fixture in the group, but their recent record of one win in their last four away games suggests that this will be a much tougher assignment.
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Jacob Karlstrom has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a broken foot, which means that Oliver Petersen should continue between the sticks for the foreseeable future.
Martin Linnes is also expected to sit out the rest of the campaign due to an ankle injury, while Erling Knudtzon could return from his head injury before the end of the year.
In the opposite dugout, Julio Romao will miss out on this match due to an accumulation of yellow cards, which could allow Jonas Hofmann to step into midfield, with Marko Jankovic likely to play in the pivot.
Yassine Benzia has been in good nick in recent weeks, scoring four goals in as many games, and he should retain his spot as the furthest-forward midfielder behind the frontman Juninho.
Molde possible starting lineup:
Petersen; E. Haugan, Oeyvann, Ellingsen, Loevik, K. Haugen; Eriksen, Kaasa, Breivik; Eikrem, Gulbrandsen
Qarabag FK possible starting lineup:
Lunyov; Vesovic, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarguliyev; Jankovic, Andrade, Zoubir, Hofmann, Benzia; Juninho
We say: Molde 2-1 Qarabag FK
The international break seemed to have done wonders for Molde, as they looked much sharper in their weekend fixture against Sapsborg, and that win would also have given them some much-needed momentum heading into this crucial fixture.
The hosts cannot qualify for Europe next season due to their poor league position and will have to throw everything they have into the next two matches in this competition. It should be an entertaining watch, but we are backing the hosts to get the victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
