Molde and Stromgodset will clash on Wednesday, June 30, at Aker Stadion in the 10th round of Eliteserien. The teams are 12 points apart in the league table, with Molde tied in first with Bodo/Glimt and Stromgodset just five points clear of the danger zone.
Molde vs Stromsgodset
When: Wednesday, June 30 – 18:00 CEST
Where: Aker Stadion in Molde, Norway
Weather: Sunny, 20°C
Referee: Tore Hansen (NOR)
Molde strung together four consecutive wins to catch up with Bodo/Glimt at the top of the league table and are now in an excellent position to claim the throne with a win today. To no one’s surprise, the squad from the Town of Roses are priced as the favourites, not only due to their hot form but also their excellent 29-6 record at Aker Stadion.
Stromsgodset managed a 3-2-3 record on the season, which is good for 11 points. They’re still five points short of reaching the top-three, albeit they have two games in hand to Valerenga. A win today would catapult them into the upper half of the table, so the motivation to deliver should be there.
Molde’s Long List Of Injuries
Molde will miss several players for today’s match. Their injury list includes Kristoffer Haraldseid, Erling Knudtzon, Andreas Linde, Bjorn Sigurdarson, Fredrik Sjolstad, and Martin Ellingsen.
Regardless, the hosts are in great form, having won four consecutive games, which includes a commanding 2-0 away win against their league rivals Bodo/Glimt. That win has now tied them with Bodo/Glimt at the top of Eliteserien at 23 points with one game in hand.
Their long injury list is obviously a reason for concern. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s successor, Erling Moe won’t be too worried since he has a long bench at this disposal, which he has been using to its fullest.
Oliver Petersen took over as the starting goalkeeper for Molde following Linde’s injury and has played well so far. He has conceded three goals in four games and kept a clean sheet against Bodo/Glimt.
Stromsgodset Away Struggles
Stromsgodset are 2-1-2 in their last five outings with losses to Brann (0-3) and Bodo/Glimt (2-7), a draw against Mjondalen (1-1), and two wins against Rosenborg (2-1) and Sandefjord (4-0). Their high-scoring win happened on Thursday when Stromsgodset outclassed their southern rivals, granted the game was played at Marienlyst Stadion.
Still, you have to give Stromsgodset some praise for their showing, and the same can be said for their home victory against Rosenborg (2-1). However, as good as Henrik Pedersen’s men have been at home, they weren’t nearly as impressive on the road.
Stromsgodset are 0-1-3 on the road with a disastrous 3-12 goal differential. They are one of four teams in the league without an away win, and their GD in away games is better than only Brann (3-13).
In their 2-7 loss to Bodo/Glimt, it became obvious that Stromsgodset don’t have the defensive capabilities to compete with Eliteserien top dogs. And this could worry them ahead of today’s match.
Molde vs Stromsgodset Betting Picks
Molde are clear favourites to win here, not only because they’re one of the most efficient home teams facing one of the worst travellers in Norway, but also due to the massive quality gap of their players.
It’s worth noting that Molde have the tendency to underperform when faced with weaker sides, but most of their iffy showings came on the road. What’s more, Molde rarely “mess it up” at home.
Due to how iffy Stromsgodset’s defence has looked over the season, it’s fair to say that they’re in for another heavy away defeat. Molde’s midfielder Ohi Omoijuanfo has had an excellent season and currently leads the league with 11 goals from 10 games.
Omoijuanfo has scored at least once in all of his last four outings and twice against Stabaek and Bodo/Glimt. Omoijuanfo and co. should be too much to handle for Stromsgodset.
Prediction: Molde -1.50 Asian Handicap (Molde need to win by two goals)
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