UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2020/21 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS - Dublin Thursday 22 October 2020 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Dundalk FC Group B - Matchday 1 Molde FK Last updated 29/10/2020 22:11CET

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1 Dundalk FC - Molde FK Thursday 22 October 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Tallaght Stadium, Dublin

Match background

The Tallaght Stadium in Dublin is the venue as the 2019 champions of the Republic of Ireland and Norway meet in their opening encounter of the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League group stage. Previous meetings • This is the clubs' first encounter in UEFA competition. • Dundalk's only previous encounters with Norwegian opposition came against Rosenborg in the 2017/18 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. • Likewise, Molde have been paired with opposition from the Republic of Ireland just once before, also in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, beating Sligo Rovers 1-0 away and 2-0 at home in 2013/14. Form guide Dundalk • Dundalk retained the title in 2019, making it five triumphs in six years and 14 overall. Runners-up also in the FAI Cup, losing on penalties to league runners-up Shamrock Rovers after a 1-1 draw, their 2019/20 European campaign ended in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League 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. The only other Irish participants in the UEFA Europa League group stage are Shamrock Rovers, who lost all six fixtures in 2011/12. • Dundalk's victory over KÍ ended a run of four winless European qualifying matches in Ireland (D3 L1). In 2016/17 they won their first home group game, 1-0 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, before losing the other two. Home and away, they have lost their last four UEFA Europa League group fixtures. Molde • Champions of Norway in 2019, claiming their fourth title in nine years, Molde are back in 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), Dundalk's conquerors 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 have won just two of their last nine European away matches (D4 L3) but are unbeaten in six games, home and away (W2 D4). Links and trivia • Current Dundalk players and David McMillan started both UEFA Champions League qualifying matches for Sligo against Molde in 2013.

2 Dundalk FC - Molde FK Thursday 22 October 2020 - 18.55CET (17.55 local time) Match press kit Tallaght Stadium, Dublin Legend Competitions

Club competitions National team competitions UCL: UEFA Champions League EURO: UEFA European Football Championship ECCC: European Champion Clubs' Cup WC: FIFA World Cup UEL: UEFA Europa League CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup UCUP: UEFA Cup FRIE: Friendly internationals UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup U21FRIE: Under-21 friendly internationals SCUP: UEFA Super Cup U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup U17: UEFA Under-17 Championship ICF: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup U16: UEFA European Under-16 Championship U19: UEFA Under-19 Championship U18: UEFA European Under-18 Championship WWC: FIFA Women's World Cup WEURO: UEFA European Women's Championship Competition stages Other abbreviations F: Final GS: Group stage (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage No.: Number og: Own goal 3QR: Third qualifying round R1: First round ag: Match decided on away P: Penalty R2: Second round R3: Third round goals agg: Aggregate R4: Fourth round PR: Preliminary round Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition R16: round of 16 QR: Qualifying round Pts: Points D: Drawn R32: Round of 32 1QR: First qualifying round R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth 1st: first leg 2QR: Second qualifying Res.: Result ET: Extra Time round sg: Match decided by silver GA: Goals against 2nd: second leg FT: Final tournament goal t: Match decided by toss of a PO: Play-off ELITE: Elite round coin Rep: Replay 3rdPO: Third-place play-off GF: Goals for W: Won PO - FT: Play-off for Final GS-FT: Group stage – final gg: Match decided by golden Y: Booked Tournament tournament goal L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow Nat.: Nationality cards) N/A: Not applicable f: Match forfeited Statistics -: Denotes player substituted +: Denotes player introduced *: Denotes player sent off +/-: Denotes player introduced and substituted Squad list D: Disciplinary *: Misses next match if booked S: Suspended QUAL: All UEFA qualifiers UEL: Current season total UEFA Europa League appearances from the group stage onwards prior to the current matchday UEL: Total appearances in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final only UEFA: All-time total appearances in UEFA club competition including qualifying Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

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