Qarabag vs Molde prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-09-20 16:45.
A small piece of history will be made at the Azersun Arena when Qarabağ play Molde in this Group H fixture of the UEFA Europa League (UEL). This will be the inaugural meeting between an Azerbaijani and Norwegian side in a major European competition group stage, though there is some mutual familiarity between these sides who clashed in the third qualifying round of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League (UCL).
The hosts will be playing European football for a club record tenth consecutive season but are carrying some unwanted baggage, namely winning just eight of 41 UEL games (D10, L23 excluded a walkover) for the lowest win percentage of any team to have played 40+ matches in this tournament! With a single win across their last four competitive matches (D2, L1) they aren’t in the best of health to change that record, although that win did come in their latest outing.
Molde are making their fourth UEL group stage appearance and their first since their club-best 2020/21 campaign when they made it to the last 16. The visitors were knocked out of the UCL preliminary rounds this year, but have since bounced back with consecutive domestic league wins and also have happy memories of having won that aforementioned H2H via a penalty shootout.
The Norwegian club also boasts an impressive record in the group stages of this competition having won seven of their last 13 such matches (D3, L3). Despite such numbers, the visitors need to improve on their travels in Europe, as they’ve lost eight of their last 12 away UEFA matches (W3, D1).
Players to watch: Juninho scored Qarabağ’s opener in their league win last weekend while his only UEL goal came in a 2-1 victory albeit in the qualifiers. Magnus Wolff Eikrem registered three direct contributions (G2, A1) across his last two matches and has eight goal involvements in his last 12 UEL group stage appearances (G3, A5).
Hot stat: Qarabağ are unbeaten across their last 12 home matches in Europe (W6, D6) including qualifiers, with seven of those games witnessing goals from both teams.