On Wednesday night, Nordic duo HJK Helsinki and Molde do battle at the Bolt Arena in the Champions League second qualifying round first leg.
The Finnish outfit head into this clash on the back of a three-match unbeaten run, but their recent form has been slightly inconsistent.
HJK vs PK-35 3–0 🔥 1–0 #33 Halttunen2–0 #27 Kiviranta3–0 #16 Lindström 🎞️: Ruutu #HJK #OnVainYksiKlubi #KansallinenLiiga pic.twitter.com/byod5xB7SD— HJK Naiset (@HJKNaiset) July 23, 2023
HJK vs PK-35 3–0 🔥 1–0 #33 Halttunen2–0 #27 Kiviranta3–0 #16 Lindström 🎞️: Ruutu #HJK #OnVainYksiKlubi #KansallinenLiiga pic.twitter.com/byod5xB7SD
However, on the flip side, HJK has lost just one of their previous 14 games over 90 minutes.
Their recent matches have been low-scoring, with under 2.5 goals scored in six of their last seven outings in all competitions.
HJK’s recent record in the Champions League has been mixed. They overcame Northern Irish outfit Larne in the first qualifying round 3-2 on aggregate.
However, they have won just one of their previous five games in 90 minutes in the competition.
The team from Finland have been strong on home soil in the Champions League, though, as they have won five of their previous seven matches in European football’s elite competition.
The visitors are in stellar form heading into this clash, as they are unbeaten in their previous seven matches in all competitions, having also recorded four straight wins.
Their eye for goal has played a key role in their recent stellar results, as Molde has scored two or more goals in each of their last six outings in all competitions.
Unlike their opponents, Molde’s recent record in the Champions League is decent, as they are unbeaten in seven matches in the competition.
However, they have drawn a lot of their games in the Champions League, as five of the unbeaten matches have ended in draws over 90 minutes.
The Norwegian outfit is also unbeaten in four away games in the Champions League, as they have recorded two victories and picked up two draws.
Forebet predicts that Molde will record a narrow victory in a low-scoring encounter to take into the tie's second leg.