Saturday 02/08/2014, 16:30, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 18, Stromsgodset vs Sogndal

Stromsgodset vs Sogndal Preview

Three consecutive draws without goals scored was enough for Stromsgodset fans, but the players responded with an emphatic win on the road against Sandnes. The visitors had overwhelming ball possession and sent an avalanche of shots towards the hosts' net, but with 7 min. left in regulation time, they were tied. Luckily for them, they scored twice in less than a minute after having a goal denied and remain relatively close of leading Molde.

Stromsgodset vs Sogndal Odds

At Bet365

Stromsgodset 1.40, Draw 4.60, Sogndal 7.00

Stromsgodset vs Sogndal Tips

Now that their Europa League ambitions have been obliterated, Stromsgodset need to focus at reducing the gap separating them from Molde. The leaders are virtually invincible in the domestic championship, but they play a difficult match on the road this weekend, which might provide the runners-up with a great opportunity to come within striking distance.

The key to victory is to fields a more offensive starting formation, but manager Nielsen has just two reliable striker's to use. Kovacs and Sorum played most of the games, but only the Hungarian stands out from the crowd with seven goals scored. On the bright side, Stromsgodset has an excellent midfield with all four players having scored at least two goals this season.

Sogndal is the kind of opponent that struggles heavily on the road and they will try to defend the scoreless draw against a clearly superior team. This strategy worked decently well for them in May and June, but it clearly backfired in the last five games, as they lost 4/5 games and are still looking for their first victory.

After being held scoreless in three consecutive games, Sogndal decided to shift into a more aggressive gear and took a leap of faith by using three strikers. They managed to score against Odd, but allowed three goals in the process, which rendered their performance virtually useless.

Key Facts

• Stromsgodset is the second best home team in the Norwegian championship, with 7 victories in 9 games
• The hosts have a crushing record against Sogndal, having won 9/12 games including the last four overall

Stromsgodset vs Sogndal Prediction

There is no much value in the odds offered by bookmakers for a home win, but if Stromsgodset is to prevail, it is unlikely for the hosts to win by a single goal. Crediting them with the chance of covering the -1.5 goals spread will result in odds of 2.05, which is decent valuation bet with Bet365.

Bet: Stromsgodset -1.5 goals @ 2.05 with Bet365