Molde-Legia Warsaw is a match valid for the first leg of the Conference League round of 16 play-offs and is played Thursday at 6:45 p.m.: TV, likely lineups, predictions.
Norway’s Molde failed to continue their Europa League journey, finishing only third in a tough but not impossible group, in which the only team out of reach was Bayer Leverkusen. Erling Moe’s men outclassed disastrous Hacken – the Swedes did not score a single point – but were mocked by Qarabag: the Azerbaijanis’ greater international experience made the difference.
Molde at the moment is not playing in the Eliteserien, Norway’s top league, which ended last December (it will not start again until April). Not a memorable tournament for Blå-hvit, who finished in fifth place, far behind champions Bodo/Glimt, who were beaten, however, in the final of the NM Cup, the national cup. Like all other Scandinavian teams that take a break during the winter, Molde is playing the Atlantic Cup. A way to keep up the pace and regain condition ahead of European commitments. A balanced clash is looming with Poland’s Legia Warsaw, already in the Conference League since the beginning of the season and qualified for the play-offs thanks to second place behind the highly favored Aston Villa. But especially ahead of the Dutch of AZ Alkmaar, semifinalists in the last edition.
The English won the group but the gap to Legia was minimal, by only one point. Led by German Kosta Runjaic, the club from the Polish capital is fourth in Ekstraklasa and on the first day of 2024 — the league resumed only last weekend — beat Ruch Chorzow 1-0. Both Molde and Legia lost important players in the winter soccer market session. The Norwegians said goodbye to Brynhildsen and Grodem, two of the most prolific, while the Poles sold Muci to Besiktas.
The Prediction
Legia had an excellent group stage and should be able to at least avoid defeat in the Norwegian trip, against a team that may be rusty after the very long winter break.
The probable lineups of Molde-Legia Warsaw
MOLDE (3-5-2): Petersen; Haugan, Oyvann, Bjornbak; Linnes, Eriksen, Kaasa, Moller Daehli, Haugen; Gulbrandsen, Eikrem.
LEGIA WARSAW (3-4-3): Tobiasz; Pankov, Kapuadi, Yuri Ribeiro; Wszolek, Augustyniak, Elitim, Kun; Josué, Pekhart, Marc Gual.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-1
