OLE Gunnar Solskjaer has pledged to make it third time unlucky for Ronny Deila in high profile managerial jousts with his countrymen when Celtic take on Europa League Group A leaders Molde tonight. The Manchester United legend and Champions League winner was dramatically parachuted back into the manager's position at his former club on the eve of the Parkhead side's tie in Norway yesterday and while the two men maintain a cordial relationship he would clearly love to become Deila's latest tormentor in continental competition. Henning Berg recorded a famous Champions League qualifying victory against Deila's Celtic with Legia Warsaw back in the summer of 2014, while his fellow Norwegian Age Hareide got the better of a feisty qualifier in the same competition earlier this year.

"You are putting pressure on me here but I hope so," said Solskjaer, whose 11th hour arrival with just three games of the domestic season left to play means he will leave team selection to his assistant Erling Moe. "But it is not about me. Erling and the boys have done their preparation. They have played the games. I have watched the last few games and I do have a feeling about the players, but you don't really see that until you get in the dressing room and out on the pitch. Hopefully we will give them a good game and it is not going to me beating Ronny, it is going to be my boys beating Celtic."

Solskjaer and Deila have been jousting for supremacy by proxy for quite some time now. During his previous stint at the club, the so-called 'baby faced assassin' took Molde to the Norwegian title in 2011 and 2012. He was still there in 2013 when Deila's Stromsgodset wrested it back off them, with home and away wins along the way. The Celtic manager has also lasted longer in British football management than Solskjaer did, the striker unable to prevent Cardiff from sliding into relegation from the Premier League and being sacked shortly afterwards.

"It has been a healthy rivalry," said Solskjaer. "He [Deila] won the league 2013, we won the league 2012 and 2011. We played a few games against each other, it is just a kind of friendly relationship. We spoke on the phone a few times when I was at Cardiff and when he came over to Celtic, so we have kept in touch."

While caretaker Moe was hardly doing badly without him, having led Molde to the top of Group A on the strength of an away win against Fenerbahce and home draw with Ajax, Solskjaer's arrival is another signal of intent from this side. "We had been in talks for a while and we finally agreed last night," explained Solskjaer. "Obviously we were thinking about next season but why not jump in straight away and get a feel for it?' We do have hope and ambition of going through. We know with two more wins we will be through. At home we do think we stand a chance."

"Ole is a big personality in Norwegian football and he will add a lot of energy to their team," said Deila. "What he did with Molde the last time was very good. His appointment will be a kick for them. They will get more belief and energy." Celtic, who travelled to Norway without the injured Charlie Mulgrew, face a major dilemma over the selection of defender Jozo Simunovic. The Croatian central defender, who faced Molde for Dinamo Zagreb earlier in the campaign, is fit again after an ankle problem but hasn't played for a month and may not be risked on the artificial surface.