Sports Mole previews Friday’s Norwegian Eliteserien clash between Bodo/Glimt and Odd, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Norwegian Eliteserien leaders Bodo/Glimt will be hoping to immediately recover from a rare defeat when they host Odd at Aspmyra Stadion on Friday.
The home side still holds a four-point lead at the top of the table, while the visitors sit just above the relegation zone with 14 points from 15 games.
Match preview
© Reuters
Bodo/Glimt suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat at the hands of bottom club Sandefjord last Saturday – only their second league defeat of the season.
This setback did little to harm their lead at the summit, as their closest challengers also failed to win, cutting their lead just by a mere one point.
However, the Yellow Horde will view this as a wake-up call as they chase a fourth top-flight title in five years, having lifted the trophy in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
Manager Kjetil Knutsen‘s team will not panic, especially considering they have a game in hand over second-placed Brann and their primary objective will be to return to winning ways when Odd visits Aspmyra Stadion this Friday.
The three-time champions are unbeaten in league games at home for almost a year, their last home defeat coming against Tromso on July 30, 2023, while they have also won four and drawn three of their seven home fixtures this season.
Bodo/Glimt have dominated recent meetings against Odd, winning the last three encounters with a combined scoreline of 11-0m showcasing how ruthless they have been in the last couple of years.
Odd are enduring a poor season, with just three wins in 15 matches played, alongside five draws and seven defeats, leaving them precariously placed in the relegation zone, second-bottom in the table.
Oddrane are on a four-match winless run, losing their last two games 2-1 to Rosenborg and HamKam, following back-to-back draws with Stromsgodset and Kristiansund.
Manager Kenneth Dokken, appointed in January, will be looking to avoid a third consecutive Eliteserien loss for the first time since May, which could make climbing out of the drop zone more difficult.
Odd finished 10th in the top flight last season under Pal Arne Johansen, and Dokken faces mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around.
However, a run of five winless away matches – including three defeats and two draws – offers little hope for Odd in this fixture.
Bodo/Glimt Norwegian Eliteserien form:
Odd Norwegian Eliteserien form:
Team News
© Reuters
Bodo/Glimt are expected to remain without Kasper Hogh and Sondre Sorli due to injuries, while Runar Espejord, who has not featured since September 2023, is a doubt.
Brede Moe was forced off with an injury in the win over SK Brann and was not in the matchday squad last time out, which could see his replacement Odin Bjortuft, continue in central defence.
Patrick Berg appears to be in good scoring form, having found the net three times in the last two matches, and the midfielder will be looking to get on the scoresheet once again.
Odd will remain without Torgeir Borven, Leon Hien and Zakaria Mugeese, who are sidelined as a result of injuries.
Mikael Ingebrigtsen found the net again in the loss to HamKam, taking his goals tally to six in 17 appearances, and he will be the one they look up to for goals in this fixture.
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Haikin; Wembangomo, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Sorensen; Saltnes, Berg, Gronbaek; Sjovold, Evjen, Mikkelsen
Odd possible starting lineup:
Hansen; Ruud, Owusu, Hagen, Miettinen, Skjeldal; Ingebrigtsen, Jorgensen, Svedsen; Midtskogen, Tewelde
We say: Bodo/Glimt 3-0 Odd
Bodo/Glimt will be desperate to put last weekend’s defeat behind them, which gives them extra motivation going into this clash.
The quality gap between both sides is wide, making the hosts overwhelming favorites to win this clash, stretching their dominance over the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.