The UEFA Champions League qualifying match between Molde and Galatasaray will take place at Aker Stadion on Thursday at 12:30 am IST.
After ending KI Klaksvik’s Champions League aspirations earlier this month, Molde is set to face Turkish champions Galatasaray in the first leg of their qualifying round on Wednesday. Under the leadership of Erling Moe, Molde qualified to the final stage by winning 3-2 on aggregate against KI Klaksvik. In contrast, Galatasaray, as visitors to Aker Stadion, comfortably defeated Olimpija Ljubljana by scoring four goals across two matches without facing any major problems.
Similar to their previous round qualification, Molde once again came from a deficit in the first leg to win the second leg. Still in pursuit of their first appearance in the Champions League group stage since the 1999-2000 campaign, Molde was previously eliminated at this stage due to the now-abolished away goals rule. In the 2020-21 season, they were knocked out by Ferencvaros following a 3-3 aggregate draw. While Molde’s domestic form has suffered due to their focus on the continental competition, with draws in their two recent matches, their impressive 11-game unbeaten streak at home raises hopes for a surprising result in the first leg.
Galatasaray encountered challenges upon their return to the Champions League qualifying rounds. Okan Buruk’s team managed to secure a narrow 3-2 aggregate victory against Zalgiris in the second round, followed by a more comfortable two-legged win over Olimpija Ljubljana. With an impressive record of five clean sheets in their last five matches across all competitions, Galatasaray is strongly favored to progress to the Champions League group stages, erasing the memory of a rare season without European football in 2022-23. This game marks the first competitive encounter between Molde and Galatasaray.
Karlstrom, Bjornbak, Ellingsen, Haugan, Linnes, Mannsverk, Breivik, Eriksen, Haugen, Eikrem, Brynhildsen
Muslera, Boey, Nelsson, Ayhan, Angelino, Kutlu, Oliveira, Yilmaz, Mertens, Akturkoglu, Icardi
| Opponents | Score |
| Valerenga | 0-2 (W) |
| Klaksvik | 3-1 (W) |
| Sandefjord | 1-2 (W) |
| Klaksvik | 4-1 (W) |
| HJK | 1-0 (L) |
| Opponents | Score |
| Trabzonspor | 2-0 (W) |
| Olimpija Ljubljana | 1-0 (W) |
| Kayserispor | 0-0 (D) |
| Olimpija Ljubljana | 0-3 (W) |
| Zalgiris Vilnius | 1-0 (W) |
The UEFA Champions League qualifying match between Molde and Galatasaray will take place at Aker Stadion on Thursday at 12:30 am IST.
| Molde vs Galatasaray | Key Details |
| Date | August 23 (Norway) |
| Venue | Aker Stadion |
| Kickoff time in Norway | 9:00 pm (Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in Turkey | 10:00 pm (Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 12:30 am (Thursday) |
Football fans in the Norway can catch the live action via TV2 Sport and TV 2 Play. At the same time, those in Turkey can watch the match via Exxen.
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