Sports Mole previews Friday’s Norwegian Eliteserien clash between Bodo/Glimt and KFUM Oslo, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Aiming to bounce back from their first defeat of the season and strengthen their position at the top of the Norwegian Eliteserien table, Bodo/Glimt will welcome KFUM Oslo to the Aspmyra Stadion on Friday.
The hosts’ lead over the chasing pack was reduced to a single point owing to Monday’s loss to HamKam, while their visitors dropped back to fifth spot following a goalless draw last time out.
Match preview
© Reuters
Bodo/Glimt return to action on Friday aiming to bounce back from a first league loss of the campaign this week, as they set out to win a fourth Eliteserien title in a five-year span, with the other three being the only ones in their history thus far.
After regaining the trophy in dominant fashion last term, Den Gule Horde kicked off the new season in similarly impressive fashion, immediately establishing themselves at the top of the division as they collected 22 points from their first eight outings, with a draw against title rivals Molde being the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record.
Kjetil Knutsen‘s side followed up that share of the spoils with four straight victories heading into Monday’s trip to HamKam, beating Rosenborg, Stromsgodset, Kristiansund and Tromso between late April and mid-May and scoring 12 goals along the way, with the latter being a 4-0 thrashing thanks to Albert Gronbaek‘s first-half brace and goals from Kasper Hogh and Jens Petter Hauge.
They were unable to extend that run any further at the Briskeby Stadion, though, leaving empty-handed and failing to score in the Eliteserien for the first time this term as Gard Simenstad fired the hosts to a 1-0 victory with his 20th-minute goal.
While they do remain in top spot thanks to their fast start, Bodo/Glimt did see their leads over Brann and Fredrikstad cut to just one and two points respectively following that setback, albeit while boasting a game in hand on the former, and they will bid to rebuild a healthy lead again on Friday with a swift return to winning ways.
© Reuters
In their way stand a KFUM Oslo side who will also bid to get back to winning ways on Friday with a chance to crack the Eliteserien’s top five after an improved run of results in recent weeks.
After winning promotion to the Norwegian top flight for the first time in their history last year, Friday’s visitors have enjoyed a pleasing start to the new campaign, initially earning six points and one victory from their first five outings.
Johannes Moesgaard‘s side appear to have kicked on since, too, adding seven more points to that tally in four further attempts, firstly prevailing in a 1-0 win away at Haugesund only to suffer a 4-1 beating in the following meeting with Fredrikstad.
The Kaffa would bounce back in style from that second defeat of the term, visiting Rosenborg and coming from behind to prevail in a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Robin Rasch, Petter Dahl and Johannes Nunez, before most recently hosting Odd on Monday and leaving with a share of the spoils having been held to a goalless stalemate.
With plenty of reason to be positive after their first nine outings in the Eliteserien, having put themselves sixth with just a two-point gap up to fifth-placed Viking and a four-point gap to fourth-placed Molde with a game in hand, KFUM will bid to extend their impressive result with what would be a major scalp by beating the defending champions and league leaders on their travels.
Bodo/Glimt Norwegian Eliteserien form:
KFUM Oslo Norwegian Eliteserien form:
Team News
© Reuters
Bodo/Glimt continue to deal with several injury issues ahead of Friday’s game, with Fredrik Andre Bjorkan, Sondre Sorli, Sondre Brunstad Fet, Runar Espejord and Omar Elabdellaoui all set to remain sidelined.
Their attack should again be spearheaded by Kasper Hogh, who has netted four goals in the last eight Eliteserien outings, despite only starting in four of those, while Albert Gronbaek will continue to play an important role in support having netted a team-high tally of 12 goals from midfield so far this term.
In their 4-1-4-1 shape, Jens Petter Hauge will look to cause problems on the left wing, having returned to the club on loan this campaign after departing for AC Milan in 2020, while captain and Norwegian international Patrick Berg is bound to again operate at the base of the midfield.
KFUM Oslo are also impacted by several injury issues ahead of Friday’s game, with Mathias Tonnessen, William Da Rocha and Obilor Denzel Okeke all remaining confined to the treatment room.
They will likely set up in a 5-4-1 shape in what is bound to be a difficult contest, with Johannes Nunez leading the line and Petter Dahl offering a further threat out wide having both managed four goals so far this season.
Elsewhere, Simen Hestnes and Robin Rasch will continue their partnership in the engine room, while Akinsola Akinyemi, Ayoub Aleesami and Haitam Aleesami will all fight to keep their places at the heart of a back five.
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Khaikin; Sjovold, Moe, Gundersen, Sorensen; Berg; Zugelj, Gronbaek, Saltnes, Hauge; Hogh
KFUM Oslo possible starting lineup:
Odegaard; Hoseth, Akinyemi, A Aleesami, H Aleesami, Gyedu; Svindland, Hestnes, Rasch, Dahl; Nunez
We say: Bodo/Glimt 2-0 KFUM Oslo
KFUM Oslo have impressed in the early stages of their first-ever Eliteserien campaign and may prove to be a tricky test for a Bodo/Glimt side wounded by a rare defeat last time out, but the hosts should have too much quality on Friday, and we back Knutsen’s men to strengthen their position at the summit with a swift return to winning ways.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
