Molde, the Norwegian club renowned for nurturing talents like Erling Haaland and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, face Shamrock Rovers in the Europa Conference League knockout stages. The two sides have met before, with Molde comfortably winning their previous encounter in 2022. Both teams will be looking to make a strong showing after disappointing domestic seasons.
MOLDE ARE BEST known worldwide as the former club of Erling Haaland and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer . Manchester United legend Solskjaer played for, and managed, the five-time Norwegian champions before doing the same at Old Trafford. In 2017, he signed a 16-year-old Haaland from his hometown club Bryne. Haaland’s exploits at Molde garnered attention from several clubs, and we need little reminder of his rise thereafter, from Red Bull Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City.
Both Haaland and Solskjaer moved on in 2018; the manager ending his second spell to take caretaker charge of United. He was due to return, with assistant coach Erling Moe stepping up in the interim, but both jobs turned permanent: Solskjaer was soon appointed as Jose Mourinho’s predecessor, with Moe in the Molde hot-seat. He was manager until December gone, winning two domestic league titles like Solskjaer before him, but has since taken an assistant role at Turkish club Beşiktaş. Fellow Norwegian Per-Mathias Høgmo is the new Molde boss, tasked with leading the side as they face into the Europa Conference League knockout stages. They welcome Shamrock Rovers to Aker Stadion tomorrow, before the return leg at Tallaght Stadium next Thursday, 20 February. Advertisement While Rovers finished 10th in the Europa Conference League table before Christmas, Molde were 23rd. They took seven points from six games, securing two wins and a draw on top of three defeats. Rovers’ next opponents kicked off with a 3-0 win at home to Larne in October, before three successive defeats to Gent (2-1), Jagiellonia Białystok (3-0) and APOEL (1-0). They rounded out the league phase with a 2-2 draw away to HJK, and a 4-3 win at home to Mladá Boleslav. There was some crossover with the Hoops: Stephen Bradley’s side drew 1-1 with Cypriot heavyweights APOEL in Tallaght, and beat Larne 4-1 on the road. Indeed, these sides met in the Europa League group stages in 2022. Molde were comfortable winners, 3-0 at home and 2-0 away, the latter result ultimately ending Rovers’ European dream. Circumstances were very different then, so it’s hard to read too much into it. The Irish outfit were battling for a League of Ireland three in-a-row at the time and domestic matters took precedence. Understrength and failing to fire in Europe, they mined just two points from the group, and scored a single goal. Molde share history with other Irish clubs, having defeated Dundalk home and away in the Europa League group stages in 2020, and Sligo Rovers in the 2013/14 Champions League qualifiers. Their European experience and pedigree is striking, really. Magnus Wolff Eikrem. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Magnus Wolff Eikrem is one of Molde’s star players. The 34-year-old playmaker was superb against Larne, in particular, scoring alongside Ola Brynhildsen, who has recently had interest from Nottingham Forest. The dynamic number nine bagged two goals against Rovers in 2022, named Player of the Match in the home tie. Kristian Eriksen is the only other goalscorer from those games still at the club, while defender Martin Linnes and midfielder Mats Møller Daehli are other key players. Former Ireland squad member Sean McDermott is their second-choice goalkeeper. Born to a Norwegian mother and Donegal father, McDermott grew up in Scandinavia. The majority of the Molde squad are home-grown, though there have a few players from Denmark, Poland and Nigeria. Their style of play was distinct under Moe, 3-5-2 the preferred formation, but that’s not to say it will have changed under new manager Høgmo. They sometimes play four at the back, but flexibility in attack is a major focus. It has undoubtedly changed significantly through the years, but Molde’s playing style was famously called “arse-football” by legendary Rosengard manager Nils Arne Eggen in 1994. Like Rovers, they will be disappointed in their domestic league showing last year. They finished fifth, 10 points off champions Bodø/Glimt, having last won in 2022. They also lost the Norwegian Cup final on penalties to Fredrikstad in December. Rovers’s five in-a-row bid fell short as Shelbourne reigned supreme, while they crashed out of the FAI Cup in the second round. Huge opportunity now awaits both in the Europa Conference League, the prize a last-16 showdown with Cercle Burgge or Legia Warsaw
Football Europa Conference League Molde Shamrock Rovers Erling Haaland Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Norwegian Football Irish Football
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