Hamsik and Gervinho Should Begin Their Trabzonspor Career by Beating Molde
Trabzonspor vs Molde FK - 05/08/2021
4851
Turkish side Trabzonspor will meet with the Norwegian giants Molde FK in the Champions League third round qualifying stages in what will be the first leg of the knockout tournament.
The Super Lig outfit will be hosting this one and they head into the game with nothing to shout about as Turkey’s top flight is yet to begin. This is in contrast to the Eliteserien, which is approaching the halfway point next week already.
In the Norwegian first tier, Molde, once again, sit top of the table and are in pursuit of their fifth title in a decade, meaning if they win the title this time round, they will be the champions in 50% of the past 10 seasons.
To make this even more inspiring and incredible, Molde’s first ever title came back in 2011, which means they have now established themselves as one of Norway’s greatest teams all within the space of just 10 years.
Should they win the title once again, they will draw level with Lillestrøm and Vålerenga as the joint-fourth most successful Eliteserien team in history.
In the Norwegian top flight now, Molde currently boast a five-point gap on second-place Bodo/Glimt and have netted an almighty 34 goals in 14 games, losing just twice and letting in 13.
As for Trabzonspor, not only is their league positioned two places higher in the UEFA coefficients and therefore, boasts a bit more of European pedigree down the years, but they also are completely fresh and ready to go after preseason.
Last season, the Turkish side finished fourth and missed out on an automatic spot as the ‘Big Three’ played out arguably the greatest title race in Turkey’s history, as Besiktas won the league by just one goal.
This meant that Trabzonspor were in fourth for much of the season and with a +13 goal difference and only seven defeats from 40 games, it was considered a positive campaign for the Trabzon outfit.
Heading into the game and the new season, the Super Lig side will look to their summer signings to finally get them back in amongst the ‘Big Three’ and within the ranks of the Champions League.
Gervinho, Bengali-Fodé Koita and Marek Hamšík have all signed this transfer window and in truth, it might just be the best piece of business they have done in recent times to get them into title contention.
These signings and the more experienced heads in the Trabzonspor squad will definitely give them an advantage. However, Molde won't give up without a fight and should record a vital win in the first leg of the Champions League qualification stages.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
ECL
342541
2
0 - 2
2.22
23°
4.00
1.95
3.75
4.00
-1
1
1
3 - 3(1 - 1)
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