Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Norwegian Eliteserien clash between Lillestrom and Stromsgodset, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Stromsgodset will be aiming to stretch their unbeaten run of form in the Eliteserien to six matches when they head to Lillestrom on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors, who are sixth in the table, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-1 draw with Sandefjord, while ninth-placed Lillestrom suffered a 3-0 defeat to Molde in their last match.
Match preview
Lillestrom won both of their league fixtures in June, overcoming Tromso and KFUM, but they were beaten 3-0 by Molde in their last match, with the result leaving them in ninth position in the table.
The Canaries have won five, drawn one and lost seven of their 13 league matches this season to collect 16 points, and they are three points behind sixth-placed Stromsgodset ahead of this contest.
Andreas Georgson‘s side actually have the second-worst home record in the Eliteserien this season, picking up only four points from six matches, suffering four defeats in the process.
Lillestrom are five-time Eliteserien champions, with their last success coming back in 1989, while they have been fourth twice and sixth once in their last three seasons at this level of football.
The Birds are actually on a three-game winning run against Stromsgodset in the league, including a 2-1 success when the two teams last locked horns in August 2023.
Stromsgodset have not managed to overcome Lillestrom in the Eliteserien since June 2022, while they have won only one of their last five league encounters with their opponents on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Sandefjord, which stretched their unbeaten run in the Eliteserien to five games, including draws in their last three.
Jorgen Isnes‘ side have won five, drawn four and lost four of their 13 league matches this season to collect 19 points, which has left them sixth in the table, six points behind fourth-place Viking.
Stromsgodset have won the Eliteserien on two previous occasions, with their last success coming in 2013, but they have finished ninth, 12th and seventh in their last three campaigns in Norway’s top flight.
Lillestrom Norwegian Eliteserien form:
Stromsgodset Norwegian Eliteserien form:
Team News
Lillestrom are expected to be without the services of four players for this match, with Erling Knudtzon and Martin Ove Roseth definitely unavailable for selection through injury.
Elias Solberg has a foot problem and is also unlikely to feature, while Mathis Bolly is a major doubt due to a knock, and he is also expected to miss out this weekend.
Ylldren Ibrahimaj is still waiting for his first league goal of the campaign, but he is again expected to feature in the final third of the field for Lillestrom this weekend.
As for Stromsgodset, Kreshnik Krasniqi will be missing due to an injury which is likely to keep him on the sidelines until the early stages of next month.
Meanwhile, Ole Enersen and Eirik Ulland Andersen are also not expected to be available due to fitness problems of their own.
Head coach Isnes could name the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Sandefjord last time out, with three-goal Elias Melkersen again set to lead the line.
Lillestrom possible starting lineup:
Hedenstad; Foss, Garnas, Gabrielsen, Tonnessen; Hoff, Lundemo, Asen; Va, Lucky, Ibrahimaj
Stromsgodset possible starting lineup:
Bratveit; Taaje, Valsvik, Dahl; Vilsvik, Farji, Stengel, Therkelsen, Tomasson; Mehnert, Melkersen
We say: Lillestrom 1-1 Stromsgodset
Lillestrom have been so disappointing at home this season, losing four of their six matches, conceding 15 times in the process, but Stromsgodset have lost three times on the road this term, and we are expecting a close match this weekend to end in a low-scoring draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.