Molde – Bodø Glimt 21-04-2025

We have reached round 3 in the Eliteserien, and there is already talk of a crisis in the city of roses Molde. That crisis could quickly become even bigger in the short term when Bodø Glimt comes to visit Røkke løkka. Because even though this Bodø Glimt team plays in Europe, they have more than enough quality in the team to catch up with this Molde team if they had to make some changes.

Molde has been beaten in the first two rounds by Sarpsborg and Sandefjord respectively. Two teams that on paper should have been beaten if the team is to stay there. If Bodø Glimt wins this now, and in that sense is 9 points ahead after 3.series rounds. Then the race is probably over for them in terms of gold. That was one of the clear goals for the season with Høgmo as the new coach.

It hasn't gone that far according to plan. We are excited about how long this will continue. Kjetil Knutsen has worked well and long with this Glimt team, and who plays is not as crucial anymore. They have proven that for several seasons now. We believe it will hold up no matter which team they field against Molde.

Molde – Is Høgmo the right coach for this team?

After Molde lost the cup final last year, and lost their place in Europe for the current season. Per-Mathias Høgmo has taken over as coach. It has been far from any success since he took over from Erling Moe. Many of the fans are already shouting his name, and believe it was the wrong decision to go for.

Although Høgmo is a qualified coach, who has coached both the women's and men's national teams. Many people question whether he is competent enough on the field. There is constant talk that he has had good people around him in the coaching team in all the clubs he has been successful with, but that in clubs he has had to be more active he himself has failed. We think we see a pressured Høgmo already. Already in the last round, there were many questions regarding the way of playing, and game systems. Here it is the politician Høgmo who answers. It is only answered in a way that is reminiscent of politicians who do not want to speak out, or do not have the competence to answer. Many believe that he is going around the mill, and does not answer for himself.

It's an aging squad that's being ruled over, and we've seen it before. The players are getting a little worse, and if the belief in the coach is not there, then the coach is quickly thrown under the bus. We've also heard rumors that large parts of the player group disagreed with throwing Moe in the first place. So this could quickly mean trouble. The next two games for this team now are first Glimt, before they meet Rosenborg away. Tough games.

If the team is without points in the first 4, Høgmo is not safe. It could be an early drama in the Eliteserien. Now it must be said that Glimt is not the worst team Molde meets. They drew in both games last year. But we think this will be difficult considering the form. The hope probably also lies in the fact that Glimt is in the middle of important games in Europe.

Bodø Glimt – Historically good.

We find it difficult to get into the debate about whether Glimt's performance is better than what RBK delivered in Europe in its heyday. We must say that both teams are historic in that context. Football is constantly changing, and it is difficult to compare over so many years. But what we can say is that we are impressed with this Glimt team.

The machinery of a team that Kjetil Knutsen has built is simply raw. The team plays machine football, and runs until they take the breath away from us all. We saw an example of that just now, when Glimt spins the shirt of Lazio, and are unlucky to win only 2-0. The whole world is impressed, and not least they are shocked by the numbers the players deliver in terms of the number of sprints, the number of meters run, and many other measurements. In fact, there were a couple of players who ran more in the previous match than a single player did in any match in the Premier League all of last year. Those are enormous numbers. This also in what should be a difficult time of year for Norwegian teams in terms of preparation and the start of the series. That only makes it even more impressive.

I am sure that the team will find good motivation heading into this match. This is the team that has historically been closest to Glimt in recent years. Now they can take on one of their fiercest competitors already at the start of the season. Regardless of the outcome in Europe, this match will probably be a close one. Molde does not seem as good at counterattacking this year as in previous years, and it will probably suit a Glimt that likes to attack. Here the pitch conditions are not bad like they were in Bryne, but the best Glimt knows is to play hard. We imagine this going their way.

Conclusion – Class difference between the teams as it is now.

With the heavy start to Molde, and a Glimt that has already shown great form by European standards, we imagine a result that leans in Glimt's favor. Molde is struggling with playing style, injuries and self-confidence. The opposite of what Glimt has. They have their strengths where Molde now has their weaknesses.

The odds are simply too good not to try as these teams now face each other. We therefore try the following bets.

Eliteserien at 19:15: Molde – Bodø Glimt: Bodø Glimt wins (2.05)