Mjondalen will clash with Odd on Thursday, July 1, on their home ground at Consto Arena. It will mark their first meeting since August 2020, when Odd won 6-1 at home, having won the reverse fixture at Consto Arena with 2-0 a month prior.
Mjondalen vs Odd
When: Thursday, July 1 – 18:00 CEST
Where: Consto Arena in Mjondalen, Norway
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 22°C
Referee: Ola Hobber Nilsen (NOR)
The last time these two met, the score was 6-1 for Odd. That was their third straight win against Mjondalen, showing how dominant Odd have been over the last couple of years.
They haven’t been good only against this opponent, but against many other teams from the Eliteserien, as evident from the fact that Odd finished in the top half in the past three seasons.
The same hasn’t been the case with Mjondalen, who only got to the Norwegian top flight in 2019. They could be going back to the second tier once the 2021 season concludes, as they’re currently just two clear from the very bottom of the table.
Mjondalen are Winless in Their Past Six Games
Mjondalen enter this match with a 1-4-2 record on the season and are winless in their last six league games. That stretch includes draws with Valerenga (1-1), Molde (0-0), Stromsgodset (1-1), and Kristiansund (1-1), as well as two losses to Viking (1-2) and Bodo/Glimt (0-2).
The last time we Mjondalen won a match was in the first round of Eliteserien – On May 16, when they destroyed Sandefjord 3-0 on the road.
However, since then, they’ve been pretty disappointing. Their main problem seems to be their attack, seeing how Mjodalen have scored only four goals in their last six and have only seven goals from seven games. Mjondalen haven’t scored more than a goal since the season opener and have managed only one in two of their last four league outings.
What’s even more worrying is that most of their goals were scored by their midfielders. In fact, only one of their attackers has his name on the board this season. Mjondalen’s no.9, Benjamin Stokke scored his only goal against Viking on May 27.
Mjondalen’s defence has been okay, though. They conceded only seven goals so far, although the fact is that they’ve played fewer games than all the other teams in Eliteserien.
Odd Keep Getting Better and Better
Odd enter this match on a two-game winning streak, with wins against Brann and Tromso. Although one could argue that those opponents have been out of form, Odd deserve a lot of praise for those sowings, having scored three goals in both outings.
Much of Odds’ strength in the final third comes from their best player, Mushaga Bakenga, who has scored a hat-trick against Brann and two goals against Tromso. Bakenga has already eight goals to his name on the season, which ranks him second in the league, behind Molde’s Ohi Omoijuanfo with 11 goals to his name.
Apart from being lethal in the final third, Odd have also been pretty decent at the back. They have conceded only eight goals across eight fixtures, ranking them among the best defensive sides in the league.
Mjondalen vs Odd Betting Picks
Odd have been showing excellent form and are facing a team that hasn’t won a single game since the start of the season. What’s more, the hosts will miss three players, which won’t do them any favours against a side that defeated them 2-0 and 6-1 last term.
Mjondalen’s solid defence could help them keep this match close, however, with Bakenga on the team, Odd shouldn’t struggle too much finding the back of the net on Thursday.
Pick: Odd +0.00 Asian Handicap – 1.95 at Pinnacle
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