Legia Warsaw will host Molde in the Round of 16 of the Europa Conference League on Thursday. Before their rematch, the Polish team was behind three goals in Norway the previous week. They managed to salvage a 3-2 aggregate disadvantage.
Preview (Legia Warsaw vs. Molde)
Legia Warsaw rapidly fell 3-0 in the first leg. For the first hour of the match, it seemed that their supporter ban for away games would be crucial. To their credit, Legia did, however, manage to recover from a 3-2 deficit. They will now host their opponents at a venue where they performed well in the group stages. Stadion Wojska Polskiego saw defeats for Aston Villa, Zrinjski Mostar, and AZ Alkmaar. Legia has not suffered a loss there since late October. Still, Kosta Runjaic’s team was five points behind the top spot after losing to Puszcza Niepolomice.
Legia, who are currently in fifth place will need to improve significantly to make it into Europe the next season. They will put their focus on finishing the competition, which they are still the dark horses to win even if their supporters are unable to travel to see them play if they advance far. Molde, on the other hand, will be divided about their performance in the first leg. Ernst Moe would have been happy with any winning result after being sixth in the 2023 Eliteserien. The momentum was lost before the trip to Poland.
During the Europa League group stages, Molde’s away performances were not entirely successful. They did overcome Swedish team Hacken, but they also lost to Qarabag FK and Bayer Leverkusen. Additionally, they have played six straight European games in which they have both scored and given up goals. It is unclear if continuing this trend would help or hurt them in this match.
Team News
The Legia XI might resemble the lineup that began the first leg if Runjaic’s adjustments for the match over the weekend don’t work out. Although Maciej Rosolek scored against Puszcza Niepolomice as a substitute and is expected to play in the closing minutes, Blaz Kramar and Bartosz Kapustka are vying for starting positions in the midfield and attack. If there are no health concerns, Moe might be ready to start with the squad that performed so admirably in the first game. Except for a friendly competition, Molde has now had a week to recuperate from their first competitive match since last year. Magnus Wolff Eikrem might move to a deeper position to make room for Berisha, but it is doubtful considering how the tie is currently playing out.
Legia Warsaw 3-1 Molde
For more football previews, click here
