The Eliteserien campaign came to a close in December and the new season begins in April, so Molde have only played a few friendlies in recent weeks and it will be interesting to see if that lack of competitive football costs the Norwegian side on Thursday.
Hoffenheim played out a 2-2 draw at Dortmund on Saturday but their overall performance in the Bundesliga has been slightly disappointing this season as they sit 12th in the table.
These two sides have never played one another before, so Thursday carries an unknown element for both sides. Molde finished second in Group B, 8pts behind Arsenal, and will have been over the moon to qualify for the knockout stage ahead of the more-fancied Austria Wien.
Hoffenheim didn’t lose a single game as they claimed top spot in Group L. The Germans finished 5pts clear of second-placed Red Star Belgrade in a group that also included Gent and Slovan Liberec, scoring 17 goals and only conceding 2.
Molde’s last six competitive and non-competitive matches have produced four wins, one draw and one defeat, so the hosts claim the title of form favourites ahead of Hoffenheim who have won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six outings.
However, the Bundesliga side have been playing against a higher quality of opposition during that period and all their matches have been competitive.
Both teams have scored in four of the host’s last six matches, while each of their last six outings have produced over 2.5 goals.
Hoffenheim’s last three games have all ended with both teams scoring and their last five fixtures have all produced over 2.5 goals, so you can see why goals are expected in Thursday’s clash.
Hoffenheim have a long list of injuries ahead of their trip to Norway. Chris Richards, Andrej Kramaric, Håvard Nordtveit, Ryan Sessegnon, Kevin Akpoguma, Dennis Geiger, Ermin Bicakcic, Benjamin Hübner and Konstantinos Stafylidis are all expected to miss the 1st leg.
The host’s main injury concern is over Kristoffer Haraldseid who has an issue with his kneecap but is expected back in mid-February.
There should be goals in this game for both teams but Hoffenheim have the competitive edge on their hosts and should have the quality, even with all those injuries, to pinch a 2-1 win on Thursday.