Molde v Celtic
Thursday 22nd October – Kickoff: 2005hrs
Football – Europe – Europa League
Molde welcomed a prodigal son home this week as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge of the club for a second time, having also played with the Norwegians. The former Manchester United man had left Molde back in 2014 after three years in charge which seen them win two league titles and a Norwegian Cup. All concerned will hope that Solskjaer can have a similar impact in his second spell and rejuvenate them domestically where Molde currently sit seventh, 19 points behind runaway leaders Rosenborg. It’s been more positive in Europe, however, taking four points from their opening two Europa League games – winning against Fenerbache in Istanbul and drawing at home to Ajax.
There’s rarely a dull game when Celtic play in the Europa League and their first two fixtures in this season’s competition have certainly followed suit from last season. The Hoops hags drawn 2-2 against both Ajax and Fenerbache, but there will be some regret that they are not sitting on six points at this stage having been unable to hold on to leads in those two games. Nevertheless, Ronny Deila men remain unbeaten and will be aiming to take four points from the home and away fixtures against Molde as they look to make the knockout stages for the second successive season.
As Molde are unable to qualify for European football through their domestic league for next season, Solskjaer will be hoping that his players can extend their participation in this competition for as long a possible. They currently sit top of the section and with only three league game left to play, can afford to prioritise their Europa League fixtures which may not be a luxury afforded to the other three clubs in the group. A win on Thursday over Celtic would give them an excellent opportunity of reaching the last-32, which would equate to their best ever effort in European competition.
This, of course, will be something of a homecoming for Deila who hails from Norway and has previously managed Stromsgodsent in his homeland. The Celtic boss remains under the spotlight with his players looking less than convincing over the last few weeks, including another narrow victory away to Motherwell at the weekend. Another criticism of the manager has been his continued backing of Efe Ambrose. The Nigerian defender was at fault for both goals against Fenerbache on match-day two, including a horrific mistake which gifted the Turkish side their first goal. He’s become a source of real frustration for the supporters who have come to expect these lapses in concentration.
Molde v Celtic Betting Tips
Group A looks likely to be very tight throughout, so every point earned will be extremely crucial. Celtic have already shown that they are capable of playing well and picking up points on their travels with their draw in Amsterdam, but overall the Scottish Champions have been unable to put together a complete performance over the course of the 90 minutes.
Molde have been responsible for the biggest shock of this section with that win in Istanbul, illustrating how much of a threat they are and that the Norwegians – despite appearing to be the outsiders of the group – cannot be underestimated. This particular game looks even more hazardous for Celtic with the return of Solskjaer likely to inspire the home team and give the whole club a lift.
Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Fenerbache now means their last 10 games in the Europa League have yielded 36 goals. It’s an incredible number of goals and a trend which I can only see continuing. Their defenders do not inspire confidence and are always liable to gift the opposition chances. Going forward they do create plenty of chances, however, both home and away. Their hosts on Thursday may not be as entertaining overall, but they have scored four goals in their first two games and have yet to keep a clean sheet, either.
In what looks a very evenly matched game, I find it difficult to have confidence in either of the two clubs to win the game. Instead, side with the trend of Celtic’s Europa League games containing plenty of goals and taking the overs, here.
Over 2.5 goals @ 20/23 @ Boylesports
