Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer at Fir Park

Moormann, by the way, is the joint oldest Motherwell player on the park. He's 25.

They have one teenager in the team and another nine on the bench, a couple of 16-year-olds and a bunch of 17-year-olds. Six debutants. Incredible.

Some high-profile exits and a battalion of injuries to others who performed so well last season, of course.

A second goal and HB might implode. Motherwell can't take their foot off the gas now

New boy Dylan Williams is looking like a very good acquisition so far. His pass to Willy Vogt in the opposition box is just behind the striker and HB ultimately clear the danger.

But Williams is linking up well with Ewan Wilson and making some super runs.

HB Torshavn's Mathias Voss latches onto a loose ball just outside the Motherwell box but the hosts get back in their numbers to defend.

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer at Fir Park

Motherwell have been really good in the face of HB's 5-4-1. Very slick on the ball, asking questions of the visitors.

They needed a goal to really unsettle HB and, boy, have they got it. Moormann fairly rifled that home, a howitzer that was well deserved.

Great energy about Motherwell from the start

Image source, SNS

Motherwell are pushing for a second.

It's a teasing ball towards the back post from Motherwell, Ewan Wilson is there but it's deflected out for a Well thrown-in.

Wilson then drills a ball into the box which goalkeeper Bjarti Mork deals with comfortably.

James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio Scotland Extra

It's a laser.

Great work from Ibrahim Said down the right.

He keeps himself onside and plays a wonderful pass to Willy Vogt inside the visitors' box but the forward's shot is saved.

James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio Scotland Extra

A lack of opportunities for Motherwell, but they are in control.

More bright attacking play from the hosts wins them a corner.

New boy Dylan Williams delivers and its headed down into the middle of the HB box but there's no one in claret and amber to connect.

That was a wee bit nervy from Alex Paulsen in goal.

He gets the pass from a defender but slips on the ball and almost gives it away to the HB Torshavn attacker.

He composes himself and gets the ball under control and to a teammate.

Martin Moormann almost costs Motherwell there, his slack clearance falls straight to HB froward Jakup Thomsen.

Luckily the visitors' attack comes to nothing but it's the first real spell of possession they've had.

A bright start from Motherwell who are passing the ball around nicely in the opening stages.

In true Askou-ball fashion, goalkeeper Alex Paulsen is playing very high.

Motherwell have just launched a free-kick towards the back-post where centre-back Martin Moormann heads straight at HB goalkeeper Bjarti Mork.

And we're off!

A very impressive moving banner happening in the stand across from me as the players emerge.

A couple of supporters are walking a giant paper aeroplane to the middle of the stand before another group carry an aeroplane from the middle to the end. Pretty cool.

Plus the noise in this place is deafening.

Who doesn't love a European night?

Motherwell aren't the only Scottish team in European action today.

David Gray's Hibernian suffered one of their worst ever results as they were beaten 2-0 by Kosovan minnows FC Malisheva.

That result also comes after Hearts' 4-0 defeat to Sturm Graz in their Champions League qualifier on Tuesday night.

Maybe Motherwell can give Scotland's coefficient a much-needed boost tonight...

If, like me, you're not hugely familiar with the Faroe Islands Premier League, also known as the Effodeildin, Scott Mullen has put together a handy guide detailing what to expect from tonight's visitors to Fir Park.

Here's a little taster:

Havnar Boltfelag Torshavn, to give them their full name, currently sit fifth in the Effodeildin table 16 games into the 2026 season, having been runners-up last year, but have not played a competitive game since 5 July.

Motherwell will be hoping they will have lost much of the match sharpness that carried them into their summer break with three wins in their past four games when the Faroe Islanders head to Fir Park for Thursday's Conference League second-round qualifier.

And you can read Scott's full piece here

The players are finished warming up and heading inside to prepare for kick off and they leave the pitch to rapturous applause from supporters.

After the joy of watching Motherwell last season they'll be excited to get this one started.

Kick-off is 10 minutes away.

James McFadden
Former Scotland & Motherwell forward on BBC Sportsound

Every single Motherwell player improved last season under Jens Berthel Askou and hopefully there's a continuation under Alfred Johansson. There's no point looking for someone completely different. Yes, he'll have his own ideas but you don't change something that is working.

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson tells BBC Scotland: "I see the crowd filling up the stands and I'm just buzzing to get started.

"Preparation has been good and it's a promising team we have on the pitch.

"The club is run with a strategy of wanting to have a clear identity. You find players and coaches to fit the style of play, the values that we want.

"I'm a perfect match and this is very much a consolidation of what was done so brilliantly last season. We want to develop and evolve.

"This is going to be a complicated game and against opponents with recent experience of group stage European football, but we are confident and we are ready to go."