Saturday 26/07/2014, 19:00, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 17, Sandnes vs Stromsgodset

Sandnes vs Stromsgodset Preview

It is now official that Stromsgodset won't be playing any Europa league matches this season, after losing both legs against Steaua Bucharest. They missed out on a great opportunity to take the lead at home and they were no match for the Romanians in the second leg. Things are not looking much better in the domestic championship, where they were recently overtaken by Rosenborg. What they need tonight is a victory over Sandnes, the team sitting in the last place of the Tippeligaen.

Sandnes vs Stromsgodset Odds

At Bet365

Sandnes 3.60, Draw 3.50, Stromsgodset 2.00

Sandnes vs Stromsgodset Tips

Stromsgodset's struggles began exactly 2 months ago, when after a lengthy winning streak they were unable to win back-to-back games for five weeks. Two narrow margin victories earlier this month suggested that the team was back on track, but the celebrations were short-lived. They lost the next three games including both Europa League legs and have fallen into the third place in the Tippeligaen.

To make matters worse, the team failed to score in any of these defeats, despite the fact that two of those games were played in front of their fans. Valerenga was dominant last week and hadn't it been for their most prolific striker missing a penalty, the visitors would've won with a forfeit score.

Even though they won't have home pitch advantage tonight, Stromsgodset is in prime position to win the first match in three weeks. They will be traveling to Sandnes, a team that is also mired in a lengthy losing streak and concerned about what the future might bring. They sit in the last place, four points behind the teams outside the relegation area and time is quickly running out.

Just as their opponents did two months ago, Sandnes won consecutive games before losing four in a row and looked toothless in all these defeats. Another failure tonight would extend the losing streak to five in a row, so the starting formation is expected to be a defensive minded 5-4-1 with Rubio as sole striker.

Key Facts

• The two teams met just five times and all the games so far have been won by the home team.
• Except for one match, all the confrontations between Sandnes and Stromsgodset were decided by a single goal.

Sandnes vs Stromsgodset Prediction

It is easy to lose confidence in a team that fails to win for three consecutive rounds, but in their defense, Stromsgodset, faced tough opponents. There is no better team to meet when trying to start a brand-new winning streak that the ones sitting in the last place and that's why it is worth betting against Sandnes at even odds.

Bet: Stromsgodset @ 2.00 with Bet365