Saturday 19/07/2014, 16:30, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 16, Start vs Bodo Glimt
Start vs Bodo Glimt Preview
When the Norwegian domestic championship resumed two weeks ago, Bodo Glimt had a cushion over the teams in the relegation area, while Start struggled among them. Now the two teams are tied for the 10th place with 18 points each and it is the visitors who need to worry about what the next couple of weeks might bring.
Start vs Bodo Glimt Odds
At Bet365
Start 1.75, Draw 3.80, Bodo Glimt 4.50
Start vs Bodo Glimt Tips
Start won on the road at Sandnes one week after recording a morale boosting victory over Lillestrom in front of their fans. On each occasion, they allowed one goal and scored a combined five, but they were in complete control of the match and never trailed. The key to victory tonight would be to stick to the winning strategy, namely to come out firing on all cylinders and try to score the opening goal.
In order to achieve this, manager Mjelde needs to start with three strikers and luckily for him he has no fewer than five choices. Until recently, Start relied almost exclusively on Tripic, Asante and veteran Hoff, the only striker who have passed the 30 years threshold. He is still a worthy option but after Vilhjalmsson scored twice in the last match, he's expected to be given another chance tonight.
By comparison, the visitors don't have so many options offensively and this became obvious over the last month, as Bodo Glimt is still seeking its first victory. Opponents managed to limit them to a single goal and on two occasions, their opponents kept a clean sheet and won the match with relative ease.
Laajab is their most prolific striker and the one who is guaranteed to start tonight, with Olsen expected to join him up front. The midfield is particularly weak for Bodo Glimt and except for Ndiaye who scored four goals, the other players in this area are unable to support the strikers.
Key Facts
- Momentum is clearly with the hosts who won back-to-back games, while Bodo Glimt failed to win a single match in the last four rounds.
- In the last six head to head games, the hosts won on five occasions, with Start claiming one point on the road.
Start vs Bodo Glimt Prediction
The hosts have no reason to settle for this precarious position, not today when they can easily add three more points against a struggling team. Regardless of what three strikers Start chooses to field against Bodo Glimt, they should prove to be more than a match for their shaky defenses, while the hosts have very little to worry from a toothless attack. The bottom line is that odds of 1.75 are just good enough for punters to back the in-form team at full stakes with Bet365.
Bet: Start @ 1.75 with Bet365
