UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2020/21 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Molde Stadion - Molde Thursday 3 December 2020 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Molde FK Group B - Matchday 5 Dundalk FC Last updated 19/03/2021 11:49CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 4 Squad list 6 Fixtures and results 8 Match-by-match lineups 11 Match officials 14 Legend 15 1 Molde FK - Dundalk FC Thursday 3 December 2020 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Molde Stadion, Molde Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Murray 35; Hussain 22/10/2020 GS Dundalk FC - Molde FK 1-2 Dublin 62, Omoijuanfo 72 (P) Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA Molde FK 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 Dundalk FC 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 Molde FK - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 2-0 23/07/2013 2QR Molde FK - Sligo Rovers FC Molde Linnes 5, Coly 78 agg: 3-0 17/07/2013 2QR Sligo Rovers FC - Molde FK 0-1 Sligo Chima 42 Dundalk FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers De Lanlay 43, 2-1 19/07/2017 2QR Rosenborg BK - Dundalk FC Trondheim Vilhjálmsson 98 ET; agg 3-2 (aet) Gartland 12 McMillan 18; 12/07/2017 2QR Dundalk FC - Rosenborg BK 1-1 Dundalk Reginiussen 44 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA Molde FK 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 5 1 Dundalk FC 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 2 3 5 2 Molde FK - Dundalk FC Thursday 3 December 2020 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Molde Stadion, Molde Match background Eliminated Dundalk are one defeat away from equalling an unwanted UEFA Europa League record as they travel to Norway to take on a Molde side who, despite two heavy losses against Arsenal, are still well placed to qualify alongside the English side from Group B. • While Dundalk have no points from their first four games and cannot finish in the top two, Molde are level on six points with Rapid Wien, six behind Arsenal. Whatever occurs on Matchday 5, the section's second qualifying spot will not be decided until the challengers from Austria and Norway go head to head in Vienna in the final round of fixtures. Previous meetings • The clubs' first encounter in UEFA competition, in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght on Matchday 1, went the way of the visitors as Molde came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a deflected volley from Etzaz Hussain and an Ohi Omoijuanfo penalty, Dundalk having failed to hold on to a first-half lead provided by Sean Murray's header. • Molde have been paired with opposition from the Republic of Ireland just once before, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, beating Sligo Rovers 1-0 away and 2-0 at home in 2013/14. • Dundalk's only encounters with Norwegian opposition prior to this season came against Rosenborg in 2017/18, also in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, when they drew 1-1 at home before losing the tie with a 2-1 extra-time defeat in Trondheim. Form guide Molde • Champions of Norway in 2019, claiming their fourth title in nine years, Molde returned to the UEFA Europa League group stage having just missed out on a place in the UEFA Champions League. Following qualifying victories against KuPS (5-0 h), Celje (2-1 a) and Qarabağ (0-0 a, 6-5 on pens), Erling Moe's side lost out in the play-offs on away goals to Ferencváros (3-3 h, 0-0 a). • Defeated in the UEFA Europa League play-offs in each of the past two seasons – by Zenit in 2018/19 and Partizan in 2019/20 – Molde are competing in the group stage for the third time. Bottom of their group in 2012/13, they defied the odds to top a section including Fenerbahçe, Ajax and Celtic in 2015/16 before losing to eventual winners Sevilla in the round of 32 (0-3 a, 1-0 h). • Molde's 12-game unbeaten run in European home games (W9 D3) came to an end on Matchday 4 as they lost 3-0 against Arsenal – their heaviest home defeat in UEFA competition. They won their first home fixture in Group B, 1-0 against Rapid. Dundalk • Dundalk retained the League of Ireland title in 2019, making it five triumphs in six years and 14 overall. Finalists also in the FAI Cup, which they lost on penalties to league runners-up Shamrock Rovers after a 1-1 draw, their 2019/20 European campaign ended in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round against Slovan Bratislava (0-1 a, 1-3 h). They had been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League a round earlier by Qarabağ (1-1 h, 0-3 a). • Beaten 3-0 at Slovenian champions Celje in their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie this term, Dundalk came through three subsequent UEFA Europa League qualifiers – 1-0 at Inter d'Escaldes of Andorra, 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw away to Sheriff of Moldova, and 3-1 at home to KÍ of the Faroe Islands – to book their second appearance in the competition's group stage following a 2016/17 campaign in which they registered four points to finish bottom of a section including Zenit, AZ Alkmaar and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. • Penalty shoot-outs notwithstanding, Dundalk have won only two of their last 18 European away fixtures (D5 L11). Home and away, they have lost their last eight UEFA Europa League group fixtures – one short of Slovan Bratislava's competition record. Links and trivia • Current Dundalk players Gary Rogers and David McMillan started both UEFA Champions League qualifying matches for Sligo against Molde in 2013. • Dundalk finished third in the 2020 Premier Division to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League qualifying phase. They were 22 points adrift of champions Shamrock Rovers at the conclusion of the abbreviated 18-match league on 9 November. • Molde also recently ceded their domestic title, Bodø/Glimt becoming Norwegian champions for the first time in 2020. 3 Molde FK - Dundalk FC Thursday 3 December 2020 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Molde Stadion, Molde Team facts Molde FK Formed: 1911 Nickname: MFK UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • none Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) • Domestic title: 4 (2019) • Norwegian Cup: 4 (2014) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League unless indicated otherwise) 2019/20: play-offs 2018/19: play-offs 2017/18: did not take part in UEFA competition 2016/17: did not take part in UEFA competition 2015/16: round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2014/15: third qualifying round 2013/14: play-offs (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2012/13: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition 2010/11: third qualifying round Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 7-1: Molde v KR Reykjavík 11/07/19, UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first leg • Biggest away win 0-4: KÍ Klaksvík v Molde 28/08/03, UEFA Cup qualifying round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Molde v Arsenal 26/11/20, UEFA Europa League group stage • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Öster v Molde 01/10/75, UEFA Cup first round second leg UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League • Biggest home win 7-1: Molde v KR Reykjavík (see above) • Biggest away win 0-4: KÍ Klaksvík v Molde (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Molde v Arsenal (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Öster v Molde (see above) Dundalk FC Formed: 1903 Nickname: Lilywhites UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 14 (2019) FAI Cup: 11 (2018) Ten-year record (UEFA Europa League unless indicated otherwise) 4 Molde FK - Dundalk FC Thursday 3 December 2020 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Molde Stadion, Molde 2019/20: third qualifying round (having transferred from UEFA Champions League second qualifying round) 2018/19: second qualifying round 2017/18: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2016/17: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2015/16: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2014/15: second qualifying round 2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition 2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition 2010/11: second qualifying round Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-0: Dundalk v Fram Reykjavík 30/09/81, European Cup Winners' Cup first round second leg • Biggest away win 0-2 twice, most recently v Jeunesse Esch 01/07/14, UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: Dundalk v Crvena zvezda 07/09/88, European Cup first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 8-1: Vasas v Dundalk 11/10/67, European Cup first round second leg UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League • Biggest home win 3-1: Dundalk v Jeunesse Esch 10/07/14, first qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 0-2: Jeunesse Esch v Dundalk (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 0-4: Dundalk v Varaždin 29/08/02, qualifying round second leg • Heaviest away defeat 6-0: Levski Sofia v Dundalk 15/07/10, second qualifying round first leg 5 Molde FK - Dundalk FC Thursday 3 December 2020 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Molde Stadion, Molde Squad list Molde FK Current season All-time UCL UEL League UEL UEFA No.