ODENSE BK v MOTHERWELL - Europa League play-off, first leg
Venue: Odense Stadion Date: Thursday, 19 August Kick-off: 1805 BST Coverage: Updates via live text on BBC Sport website and on BBC Radio Scotland

Mark Reynolds hopes added experience will help Motherwell improve on previous outings as European underdogs.

Motherwell make their third consecutive attempt to reach the group stages of the Europa League, with Danish seeds Odense the final hurdle to overcome.

"The manager sets us up so that we look suited to European football," said defender Reynolds.

"The older you get, the more experience you pick up and we have benefited from being in European for three years."

Two years ago, most of the team and manager Mark McGhee made their European bows in the first round of Uefa Cup against Nancy, only to struggle with an unfamiliar formation and lose 3-0 on aggregate.

Last year, 'Well fell in an earlier round as Jim Gannon's ambitious tactics and an inexperienced team failed to match Steaua Bucharest as the Romanians swept the Lanarkshire outfit aside.

This season the early signs have been more promising under Craig Brown and assistant Archie Knox.

The Steelmen have conceded just one goal in four matches against Breidablik and Aalesund to give them added confidence ahead of another contest in Scandinavia.

And Reynolds, who has now played in 12 European games, is a lot more comfortable going into the latest test under the guidance of the former Scotland boss.

"He is vastly experienced in that field and knows what it takes to get results," he said of Brown.

"He realises the importance of getting away goals and keeping cleaning sheets and the way he sets us up shows the experience he's got.

"I think you learn from every experience. Craig Brown and Archie Knox are two vastly experienced managers and the players have the experience of playing 10 or 11 European games.

When Reynolds looks back to Motherwell's first European game for 13 years against Nancy, he is convinced that inexperience was a major factor in their performance.

"We knew they were a big team and good quality, and over the piece they were the better team," the 23-year-old said.

"But certainly I think we could maybe have approached the game a bit differently.

"But that's football, it's easier to identify mistakes once they've been made.

"I think we have all learned and are used to the European stage. It's easier to play in a level when you're used to playing there.

"There are first-time nerves and although you don't expect it to get the better of you, sometimes they can creep in.

"So it's good that the whole squad has experience of playing in Europe."

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