ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Ethan Horvath and Molde FK were handed on Monday the unenviable task of tackling two-time defending Europa League champs Sevilla in the tournament’s Round of 32.
The teams were drawn against each other on Monday and will meet for the first time ever on Feb. 18 at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan to kick off the tie. The Norwegian side will host the return leg on Feb. 25. Molde have never defeated top flight Spanish opposition, posting a 0-3-3 all-time record against La Liga sides.
Horvath went 3-1-2 in the group stage, allowing seven goals in six games. The 20-year-old currently stands tied for second on the tournament chart with 24 saves, one off the leader, and his total of 23 cross claims ranks seventh.
Should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's charges manage to upset Sevilla, this year's run will mark their deepest ever in a UEFA cup competition. The last time they reached a Round of 32 was in the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup, when they were soundly defeated by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
