Molde vs Hacken Prediction & Tips
It really is crunch time in UEFA Europa League (UEL) Group H, as Molde host Häcken at the Aker Stadion and the two sides have yet to earn a single point between them. Incredibly, this is the third Scandinavian team the home side has faced this season in Europe, having beaten Finnish side HJK Helsinki and Klaksvik of the Faroe Islands in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds before falling agonizingly short in the play-offs.
Erling Moe’s side have certainly not been that poor in the UEL this season, losing by single-goal margins to Qarabağ and Bayer Leverkusen. But with their hopes of defending their league title still on the line and captain Magnus Wolff Eikrem admitting that the second-half performance in their last 3-2 loss to Brann was “incredibly weak,” Molde are on the brink of recording four consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time since April 2013.
Häcken are also struggling to defend their league title, but have significantly outperformed under Per-Mathias Hogmø and are at least within striking distance of leaders Malmö. The same cannot be said of their situation in Europe, however, as they were beaten 4-0 by Bayer Leverkusen before losing 1-0 to Qarabağ. Such problems raise the question of whether another defeat against his Norwegian compatriots could prompt Hogmø to think about the vacant position in the Sweden national team, given that he is one of the men said to be among the candidates.
The last five games involving Häcken have seen plenty of drama, with seven goals coming in the 70th minute or later during that period, six of which went in favor of the “Wasps.” Just as well they are used to finding the net, having not kept a clean sheet away from home since they coincidentally drew in Klaksvik in July, and doing so again would be key if the Swedes are to secure their first ever European group stage win.
Players to watch: Magnus Grødem has 11 goals in all competitions this season, making him Molde’s top scorer among players still at the club. For Häcken, Edward Chilufya has started to improve after arriving on loan in August, scoring five goals in as many matches for the Gothenburg side – all of them after the 40th minute.
Key stat: Molde have lost each of their last seven European matches when conceding the first goal.
Molde – Hacken FREE TIPS
OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 2.25
