København welcome Molde in Nordic derby

Danish teams have had the better of past meetings with Norwegian opponents as FC København prepare to take on Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Molde FK in UEFA Europa League Group E.

Previous meetings
• The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition, and this is also Molde's first experience of Danish opposition.

• København have played seven games against Norwegian sides in Europe, with the record W4 D2 L1 (W3 D1 L0 at home – W1 D1 L1 in Norway). Most recently, they eliminated Rosenborg BK in the play-offs to reach the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• There have been 19 games between Danish and Norwegian sides in UEFA competition, with the Danes' record reading W9 D4 L6 (W6 D1 L3 at home – W3 D3 L3 in Norway).

Match background
• FCK lost to LOSC Lille in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, parachuting down to start their fifth group stage campaign in this competition, having made it through to the round of 32 in two of their four previous attempts.

• Their 1-0 first-leg win against Lille ended a run of three home games without a European victory, encompassing a draw and two defeats.

• Molde, whose sole previous group stage participation of any sort came in the 1999/2000 edition of the UEFA Champions League, have not lost in their last four European away games, though three of those ties ended in draws.

• Solskjær remains unbeaten away from home in three European games as Molde coach.

Team facts
• København's Lars Jacobsen celebrates his birthday (33) on the day of the match, as do Molde's Davy Claude Angan (26) and Martin Linnes (21).

• Molde coach Solskjær played against FCK twice in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage, coming on for 30 minutes as his Manchester United FC side prevailed 3-0 at Old Trafford. He then featured for the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss in Copenhagen.

• FCK's coach is Ariël Jacobs, who led RSC Anderlecht from 2007-12, winning two titles and a Belgian Cup to add to the one he picked up at RAA Louviéroise in 2002/03. Once a striker with K. Diegem Sport, the 59-year-old coached national youth teams and assisted Guy Thys as senior Belgium boss before returning to club football.

• Jacobs took charge of Anderlecht midway through the 2007/08 UEFA Europa League group stage, steering them through to the round of 32. He repeated that feat in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 and thus has never failed to lead a side through a European group stage.

• Solskjær left his home-town club Clausenengen FK for Molde in 1994, and played for them in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup before embarking on a glittering career as a forward at Manchester United, where he won six English titles, two FA Cups and scored the winner in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League final. Taking charge of the Old Trafford club's reserves after hanging up his boots, he returned to Molde to become coach, leading them to a first Norwegian title in his debut season, 2011.

• Solskjær never appeared in the UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League as a player.