-
Molde exceptionally strong at home
-
KI have knocked out teams from Hungary and Sweden
-
Back hosts to win by two goals or more
Molde v KI
Tuesday 15 August, 18:00
Hoffenheim gave us a flying start to the week as they dismissed Lübeck 4-1 in the German Cup, although the concession of an early goal gave us and them a bit of a scare. We'll kick things up a notch now, because there are Champions League qualifiers tonight, as there's an intriguing clash between Norwegian side Molde and Faroese giant-killers KI Klaksvik.
KI have had an extraordinary run. They dumped Hungarian side Ferencvaros out of the tournament, winning the away leg 3-0 after a 0-0 draw. They then found a way to squeeze past Swedish champions Häcken on away goals. A 2-1 win over Molde in the Faroes has given them a chance of keeping their Champions League dream alive, but I suspect this is where the road ends.
Molde are the current champions of Norway, and even though they are currently trailing in the wake of an excellent Bodo Glimt side, they are still a team to be feared. In the UCL qualifiers they have come back from a first-leg deficit to edge out Finnish side HJK, winning the second leg 2-0 at home. Domestically, they have won seven of their last ten games, and at their Aker Stadion they have racked up six league victories in a row.
KI have done superbly to get to this stage, but this is a huge test of their resolve. Molde have won 24 of their last 30 home games in all competitions, including the last nine, and I think they can get the two-goal win they need to turn this tie around. Let's back the hosts -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.84/5.