The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 between Molde (Norway) and Legia (Poland) will take place on March 6 at the Aker Stadium. Molde vs. Legia: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Molde
Per-Mathias Høgmo's side faced Shamrock Rovers in the play-offs and narrowly overcame the Irish resistance. Molde lost 0-1 at home in the first leg, but managed to win by the same scoreline away, eventually triumphing 5-4 in the penalty shootout. Notably, the team has only two wins in their last seven Conference League encounters (1 draw, 4 losses). Additionally, the club has kept a clean sheet only once in this stretch.
- The club has avoided defeat in regular time in 6 of their last 9 home matches in the Conference League (5 wins, 1 draw).
- The team has conceded in 6 of their last 7 home games in this European competition.
- The Norwegians have failed to score in the second half in 5 of their last 6 Conference League matches (3 draws, 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Molde (4-2-3-1)
Jacob Karlstrøm – Martin Linnes, Eirik Haugan, Isak Amundsen, Halldor Stenevik – Emil Breivik, Mats Dæhli – Kristian Eriksen, Markus Kaasa, Magnus Eikrem – Fredrik Gulbrandsen.
Defender Kasper Eyjolfsson, midfielder Johan Bakke, and forward Veton Berisha are out due to injuries. Defender Isak Amundsen and midfielder Magnus Eikrem are suspended.
Legia
Gonzalo Feio's side skipped the play-offs, and in their last group stage match, Legia suffered a 1-3 away defeat to Djurgården. This loss marked their second consecutive defeat in the Conference League, although prior to that, the Polish side enjoyed a 10-match unbeaten run in this European competition (9 wins, 1 draw). Notably, the team has conceded only five goals in the current Conference League season, ranking among the top three clubs alongside Chelsea and Rapid in this regard.
- The team has won in regular time in 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Conference League.
- The club has scored at least twice in 5 of their last 7 away games in this European competition.
- The Polish side has scored in the second half in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Legia (4-3-3)
Gabriel Kobylak – Pawel Wszolek, Steve Kapuadi, Sergio Barcia, Patryk Kun – Claude Goncalves, Jürgen Celhaka, Ryo Morishita – Kacper Chodyna, Marc Gual, Lucas Luquinhas.
Defender Radovan Pankov and midfielder Lucas Luquinhas are out due to injuries. Midfielder Ryo Morishita is suspended.
Referee
Horatiu Fesnic (Romania)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 30;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 30;
Penalties – 43%.
Molde vs. Legia: Match Prediction
At home, the Norwegians favor an attacking style of play and aim to spend as much time as possible in the opposition's half. The team rarely struggles with scoring: in 14 home matches in the Conference League, Molde has failed to score only four times, netting at least twice in nine of those encounters. However, in 6 of their last 7 home games in the competition, the team has failed to keep a clean sheet.
Legia is also not accustomed to sitting back and even in away matches, they create numerous chances. In all of their last nine away Conference League games, the club has managed to score, hitting the net at least twice in six of those matches. Meanwhile, in their last 13 away games in this European competition, the club has kept a clean sheet only four times.
I expect a high-scoring game in this encounter, so my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
