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Ferencváros – Cast 0–0 (3–3 overall)
Molde chased its first Champions League group match appearance in 21 years on Tuesday. In the 1999/2000 season, the away goal rule sent them to the group stage. Against Ferencváros, it was precisely the away goal rule that cost them a breakthrough, as they ended goalless in Hungary.
In the end, it was the tip of a shoe that robbed the visiting team of a Champions League group match. Now, instead, they will be group matches in the Europa League.
– Broken. We have a chance of a lifetime to end up in the company of the best, and then we make a decent match, but we have too much respect for a long time and we don’t believe enough until the end. It’s football and there are small margins, Eirik Hestad tells TV 2 after the game.
“At the moment it also feels bitterly bitter because there were some situations at home that went wrong for us, and I think we are by far the best team in two games,” says Hestad.
The fans gathered outside the stadium.
El Molde arrived in the Hungarian capital with the certainty that they had to score to advance to the group stage of the Champions League. However, the first round in Budapest passed without great opportunities.
What was most impressive was that a group of Ferencváros fans had gathered outside the stadium. They made noise and saw it, without seeming to help the home team.
The hosts arrived well enough at the first end of the round, but the shot went straight to Molde goalkeeper Andreas Linde.
The closest visiting team had a chance before the break, it was when Magnus Wolff Eikrem had a chance from 16 meters, but the usually so accurate midfielder’s shot went a bit above the goal.
Shape better after rest
Ten minutes after the break, Molde had two good chances to take the lead. A poor clearance by the home team landed in Eikrem, who found Etzaz Hussain very well. He has a crack on the rebound just in front of Miha Blazic … how did he miss that ?! Amazing.
Then it was Stian Gregersen who had a chance to shoot Molde up front after a corner kick from the right, but the home team defense managed to get close enough on the midfielder that his attempt was blocked as well. Therefore, it was still 0-0.
– Molde continues to create problems for the home team and is clearly the best team on the field right now, commented TV 2 soccer expert Jesper Mathisen with half an hour left.
A minute later, the task was about to become much more difficult when Uzuni perfectly timed the pass to Oleksandr Zubkov, but the Ukrainian hit terribly poorly. The shot reached Linde.
On the sidelines, Sergei Rebrov, a compatriot of Zubkov, the Ferencváros coach who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, struck out with his arms. The former top scorer would soon rather bite his nails.
Stay alone with the doorman
Barely a quarter of an hour before the end, Hestad had a solid chance to decide. Again what happened on the right side of Molde happened.
Hestad played for Hussain, got on his way and finally received the ball from Eikrem. The midfielder arrived alone with the Ferencváros goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz, but the shot was too weak and the Hungarian saved with the tip of his left shoe. Then Dibusz roared with joy.
– There is a danger of sleepless nights for the rest of your life, says Hestad.
Soon after, Eikrem stepped onto the field and fired, but the shot went to the side of the nearest post.
Three minutes before the end, substitute Ola Brynhildsen had a chance when right-back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen attacked from the right, but the 21-year-old’s live shot slid off the longest post.
El Molde never got any closer, and so Ferencváros went on to a goal away from home. The consolation prize for Molde is participation in the Europa League. The club has not participated there since the 2015/16 season.
