Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo was crucial for IF Elfsborg in their Europa League qualifier against Molde on Thursday.

Baidoo provided the assist for the only goal of the game as the Swedish side claimed victory on the road in the first leg of their playoff encounter.

The attacking midfielder was named in the starting lineup once again having been key in their previous games in the competition.

Elfsborg had a brilliant start to the game after Ahmed Qasem opened the scoring after just 15 minutes played.

The forward capitalised on a smooth one-time pass played into his path by Baidoo to beat the goalkeeper from close range and give the Yellow and Blacks the lead.

Despite a late attempt from both teams after the break, there were no more goals recorded in the game with Elfsborg picking a vital win on the road.

With his assists against Molde, Baidoo has been directly involved in six goals in seven games in the qualifying phase of the Europa League.