On Thursday Shamrock Rovers from the League of Ireland seek UEFA Conference League round of 16 qualification during their clash with Molde at Tallaght Stadium.
Going into the second leg MFK Molde needs to exert maximum effort because Shamrock Rovers lead by one goal from the initial encounter.
Michael Noonan returned to classes at school on last Friday after scoring the decisive goal of the tie on his first match at Aker Stadion twelve hours earlier.
Noonan buried the goal after being played by Dylan Watts in the 57th minute while Molde continued their match with 10 players from the 42nd minute. However, a direct red card was shown to Valdemar Lund after he tackled Noonan.
Office UEFA competition, Bohemians only narrowly missed qualifying for the round of 16 even though they ended in tenth place in the standings due to goal margin standings alone.
Molde managed their first victory of the campaign last Thursday against Dundalk while they continued to experience domestic losses after conceding defeats to the same opponents by 3-0 at Tallaght Stadium on February 7 followed by a 1-0 loss on the road at Bohemians.
Rovers enter the match as modest favorites although they need to remain vigilant since their current lead might be at risk if they become complacent.
Molde progressed to the Conference League playoffs when Per-Mathias Hogmo's team defeated Mlada Boleslav 4-3 in their final league phase match.
With those three points, MFK managed to finish in 23rd position, tied with Hearts, a Scottish team who lost their most recent game to a draw and fell out of the top 24.
It is important to note that Hogmo's team hasn't participated in any competitive games in 2025 except from their Conference League loss last week. Additionally, because they have alternated between wins and losses this season, the seven-day interval between intense games may hinder their ability to establish a rhythm.
However, Molde may have an advantage over their rivals since they will have had a full week to recover and prepare for Thursday's crucial match.
The visitors played several friendlies in advance of the first leg, including a 2-1 loss to Shamrock Rovers' division rivals St. Patrick's Athletic at the beginning of February, while they await the start of the new Eliteserien campaign next month.
