Friday 01/08/2014, 18:00, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 18, Lillestrom vs Brann

Lillestrom vs Brann Preview

Lillestrom failed to win a single match in July and as a result they slipped into 7th place, where they are tied with Sarpsborg. On the bright side, a victory tonight over relegation threatened Brann would help them climb two places, at least until tomorrow when Viking faces Valerenga at home. The visitors are going through a rough stretch as well and scored just once in the last three rounds, while losing on two occasions.

Lillestrom vs Brann Odds

At Bet365

Lillestrom 1.75, Draw 3.80, Brann 4.50

Lillestrom vs Brann Tips

In the last three Tippeligaen rounds, Lillestrom dominated opponents and had better ball possession but that didn't translate into many points. Their opponents found a way of scoring first and so they were forced to fight an uphill battle, which resulted in three consecutive draws.

Not having a single striker among the most prolific 25 scorers in the Norwegian first division doesn't help either, with Knudtzon and Fofana being the best ones with four goals each. Only the latter is playing upfront, usually on his own, but tonight he is probably going to be joined by Friday. The 19-year-old Nigerian player didn't get the chance to prove his worth this season, so he will try to make the most of these opportunity.

The hosts will have the advantage of playing against a team that won just twice on the road in 2014 and are desperately trying to climb above the relegation area. Their defenses didn't rise to the occasion in any of the recent matches, with Brann allowing exactly one goal in each game. That proved to be enough to lose twice and the 1-1 draw at Stabaek was not enough to lift them out of the dangerous zone.

Brann doesn't have too many options upfront either, but they have no intention of fielding more than a striker, as manager Norling is a big fan of a 5-4-1 starting formation. He will choose his countryman to spearhead the offensive, as Orlov has scored six times in 17 rounds.

Key Facts

• Both teams scored a single goal in the last three rounds, but Lillestrom was undefeated over the stretch.
• Home pitch advantage clearly favors Lillestrom who won eight times in front of their fans while losing just six games

Lillestrom vs Brann Prediction

Bookmakers are not particularly generous when it comes to offering odds for a home win, with the best value right now being 1.75 at Bet365. There is no better way for Lillestrom to return to their winning ways than by prevailing at home against Brann, after drawing three games in a row.

Bet: Lillestrom @ 1.75 with Bet365