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Cercle Brugge will host Molde at the Jan Breydel Stadion on Thursday in the second leg of their 2024-25 UEFA Europa League third-round qualifying clash. The home side have endured a slow start to their Jupiler Pro League campaign and will hope they can find better luck elsewhere this week.
They faced Scottish outfit Kilmarnock in the previous round of the Europa League qualifiers, playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg before winning 1-0 in the second thanks to a first-half strike from Thibo Somers.
Molde, meanwhile, are enduring yet another disappointing league campaign but remain on course to secure a spot in the Europa League group stages. They picked up a 2-1 comeback win over Lillestrom in their last league outing, with Frederik Ihler and Kristian Eriksen getting on the scoresheet late in either half to clinch the points for Erling Moe's men.
The visitors already have a foot in the playoff rounds after picking up a 3-0 win over Cercle in their first-leg clash last week and only need to avoid defeat this Thursday to advance.
Cercle Brugge vs Molde Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Thursday's game will mark just the second meeting between Cercle and Molde following their debut matchup last week.
- The hosts have had three competitive meetings against Norwegian opposition, winning one of those games and losing the other two.
- The visitors have had nine meetings against Belgian opposition in European competitions. They have won three of those games, lost four times and drawn the other two.
- Groen en Zwart have managed just two clean sheets in their last 16 competitive games.
Cercle Brugge vs Molde Prediction
Cercle's latest result ended a run of back-to-back defeats and they will be looking to build on that this week. They have won just three of their last eight competitive games at the Jan Breydel Stadion and have a mountain to climb on Thursday.
Molde, meanwhile, are on a run of consecutive wins after winning just one of their five games prior. They have struggled for results on the road of late but should hold on to their first-leg advantage this week.
Prediction: Cercle Brugge 2-2 Molde
Cercle Brugge vs Molde Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Five of the visitors' last six matches have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in five of Cercle's last six home games)
