Silkeborg are set to host Molde at JYSK park in the second leg of their Europa League second qualifying round matchup on Thursday evening.
The hosts will need a strong performance at home if they are to advance as they need to overturn a two-goal deficit following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in Norway.
Match preview
Silkeborg, widely perceived as the underdogs going into the first leg at Aker Stadion, saw Molde secure a 3-1 victory, but the Danish side’s positive performance would have boosted their confidence heading into the second leg.
Kent Nielsen‘s side went one behind just two minutes into the game after Marcus Andre Kaasa‘s opener, but Silkeborg fought back to level the score on the 35th minute before eventually losing 3-1, despite matching their opponents’ shot count by the end of 90 minutes.
Nielsen will be hopeful that his side can overturn the defeat with at least a two-goal victory in their home leg, but with a record of just nine wins in 25 European home matches, history is not on their side.
Silkeborg suffered a second consecutive defeat following their first leg loss, disappointingly being beaten 2-1 by newly-promoted Aalborg, leaving Nielsen’s side with one win and one loss from their opening two league fixtures.
As for their visitors, Erling Moe will be pleased with his side’s 3-1 victory in the first leg, putting his team firmly in the driving seat to advance into the third qualifying round and get one step closer to a place in the revamped Europa League league phase.
Molde have struggled away from home in European competition, losing seven of their last nine matches on the road with their only victories coming against Legia Warsaw and BK Hacken with 3-0 and 3-1 scorelines.
Unlike their opponents, Molde are midway through their season with just under half of the fixtures remaining, and Moe will be hoping a strong run in Europe could spark their league campaign, as they currently sit fourth in the table after finishing fifth last year, a far cry from their six consecutive top-two finishes between 2017 and 2022.
They have lost both of their last two league matches, leaving them on a run of three games without a victory in the Norwegian Eliteserien, a streak that Moe will be desperate to end following the upcoming second leg.
Magnus Wolff Eikrem is likely to play a vital role in their upcoming matches, with the 33-year-old striker already netting 10 goals in 18 games this season, including a goal in the first leg.
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Team News
The hosts will be without up to five players for this one as Alexander Madsen, Callum McCowatt, Fredrik Carlsen, Pelle Mattsson and Younes Bakiz are all injured.
Last season’s top scorer, Alexander Lind, scored his first of the campaign against Molde last time out, and the forward is expected to start in this one.
As for Molde, they will be without both Fredrik Gulbrandsen and Veton Berisha due to injuries that they are not expected to return from until early next month.
Kristoffer Haugen was forced off in the 55th minute of their defeat to Viking FK last time out, and the midfielder is a doubt for this one, leaving Mathias Fjortoft Lovik likely to replace him in the side.
Silkeborg possible starting lineup:
N Larsen; Sonne, Rodin, Ganchas, Poulsen; M Larsen, Brink, Andersen; Adamsen, Orazov; Lind
Molde possible starting lineup:
Posiadala; Amundsen, Hagelskjaer, Lund; Stenevik, Kaasa, Daehli, Breivik, Lovik; Eriksen, Eikrem
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