Molde ended KL Klaksvik’s Champions League dream and host Galatasaray in the final qualifying round. Erling Moe’s team defeated KI 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the decisive round. The visitors to Aker Stadion defeated Olimpija Ljubljana by four goals over two legs without answering.
Preview (Molde vs Galatasary)
Molde overcame a first-leg deficit to knock off Faroe Islands trailblazers KI. Similar like they did in their second-round qualification match against HJK Helsinki. However, they had to overcome a significant scare to put an end to the minnows’ continental dream. As the first team from the Faroe Islands to advance to the third round of Champions League qualifying, KI stunned Molde with a 2-1 first-leg victory, but Kristian Eriksen’s early goal in the return leg on last Tuesday necessitated an additional 30 minutes. At the very least, this ensured a Europa Conference League group-stage spot.
Molde was eliminated by Ferencvaros in 2020–21 after a 3–3 aggregate draw due to the now-abolished away goals rule. Since tying 2-2 with Zalgiris in their first European match, Galatasaray has focused on playing good defense. On Saturday, they finally got off the ground in the Super Lig as they defeated Trabzonspor 2-0.
Galatasaray will be heavy favorites to advance to the Champions League group stages for the first time since the 2019–20 season, ending a rare season without any type of European football in 2022–23. Galatasaray has kept five clean sheets in their past five games across all competitions. This week will mark Molde and Galatasaray’s first competitive meeting. The Turkish champions have only triumphed once in their previous four matches against Norwegian opposition. They defeated Rosenborg in the 1998–99 Champions League before falling to Tromso 2-1.
Team News
Molde’s center-back Eirik Haugan was dismissed for dissent late in the second half against Valerenga. His participation in Europe is unaffected by those two bookable offenses. No injuries have been reported from Molde’s last two games. Moe rearranged the lineup over the weekend after a taxing 120 minutes against KI. This week, the right-wing back may anticipate playing in his usual position in the hosts’ 3-5-2 formation. Ola Brynhildsen and Magnus Wolff Eikrem played in the attacking third.
Since ex-Arsenal midfielder Torreira received a straight red card in the second leg of the match against Olimpija, he will serve a suspension on Wednesday night, which allows either Kerem Demirbay or Sergio Oliveira to take the field. Wilfried Zaha, an ex-Premier League player, is questionable for the first leg due to a foot injury received in last week’s European match, which forced him to miss the victory over Trabzonspor. With Zaha may be out, Kerem Akturkoglou, Baris Yilmaz, and Dries Mertens should continue to start behind the effective Icardi, who is currently holding Cedric Bakambu at bay.
Molde may have the recipe for domestic success at home, but against a Galatasaray team that is adept at shutting out the opposition themselves, their defensive prowess is unlikely to matter much. Buruk’s team of acclaimed international stars should cruise to a first-leg victory with little trouble, despite Torreira being on the sin bin and uncertainty surrounding Zaha’s availability.
Molde 0 – 3 Galatasary
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