The second leg of the 2024/25 Conference League playoff between Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) and Molde (Norway) will take place on February 20 at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. The first match ended 1-0 in favor of Shamrock Rovers. Shamrock Rovers vs. Molde: prediction, statistics.
Shamrock Rovers
Stephen Bradley's side surprised everyone in the first game by defeating the Norwegians 1-0 on their home turf. To advance to the Round of 16, the Irish need only to avoid defeat in their home match. Notably, this is the first time this century the club has reached the playoffs of a European competition. Additionally, the team has scored in all matches of the main stage of the tournament.
- In the last seven matches in the Conference League, Shamrock Rovers have lost only once (4 wins and 2 draws).
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of the last 7 games of the Irish in this European competition.
- No more than three goals were scored in 13 of the last 16 matches of the club in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Shamrock Rovers (3-5-2)
Edward McGinty – Lee Grace, Daniel Cleary, Roberto Lopes – Joshua Honohan, Dylan Watts, Matthew Healy, Aaron McEneff, Daniel Grant – Michael Noonan, Daniel Mandroiu.
Midfielder Dylan Watts and defender Daniel Cleary are out due to yellow card suspensions.
Molde
The Scandinavians failed to capitalize on their home advantage and lost the first meeting. This was largely due to a red card in the first half. Now they need to defeat the Irish on their turf by two or more goals. If the match ends in a narrow victory for Molde, extra time will be played. It's worth noting that the team has not won in 5 of their last 6 matches in the Conference League (1 draw and 4 losses).
- In the last 16 matches of the Scandinavians in this European competition, there was only one draw (7 wins and 8 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 11 of the last 13 games of Molde in this tournament.
- The club has not won in the second half in their last six matches in the Conference League (3 draws and 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Molde (4-2-3-1)
Jacob Karlstrøm – Valdemar Lund Jensen, Kristoffer Haugen, Isak Helstad Amundsen, Halldor Stenevik – Emil Breivik, Mats Dæhli – Kristian Eriksen, Markus Kaasa, Magnus Eikrem – Fredrik Gulbrandsen.
Defender Valdemar Lund Jensen is suspended.
Referee
Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Greece)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 17%.
Match Prediction: Shamrock Rovers vs. Molde
Two seasons ago, these teams met in European competitions during the group stage of the Conference League, where the Norwegians secured two confident victories with clean sheets. In this edition of the tournament, the Irish are much stronger, and Molde's performance has noticeably declined. The Scandinavians have only managed two victories in the overall stage, defeating Larn and Mlada Boleslav, both at home.
Molde has not impressed on the road. In their last four away matches in the Conference League, they drew with HJK and lost three times. It's worth mentioning that last season the team finished only 5th in their league and missed out on European competitions. Thus, the current Molde is not the formidable opponent they once were in European competitions, while Shamrock Rovers have a chance to reach the Round of 16. The Irish have not lost in three consecutive home matches in the Conference League (2 wins and 1 draw).
My prediction: Shamrock Rovers with a handicap (+1)
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
