Viking – Bodø Glimt 19-07-2025

While most of Europe is playing unimportant matches, perhaps one of the most important matches of the year is going to be played in Norway. The Eliteserien is delivering this year, and it is about to level out. This match between Viking, who has been the clear best team this year early in the season, meets what is still for many the big favorite to take the gold. Certainly not if you ask those in Stavanger and Bergen. But the sober supporters elsewhere in the country, probably keep a button on what has been, and still is, the best team in Norway in recent seasons. We think so.

If Bodø Glimt wins this match, as well as their remaining matches, they will lead the series. That says a lot. Because this is a team that many believe has started weakly. What happens if they find their form? Lyse Arena will probably be well filled, even though this is in the middle of the public holidays, and for the neutral spectator this will be one of the treats to watch. Because we are pretty sure that these teams will stay at the top until the end of the season, so you may well see the league champion here.

In that sense, this is almost like an early series finale. Because who knows how many points there will be at the end of the season. We think that both of these teams bring that into this big match.

Viking – Has the air gone out a little?

We ask ourselves that question in the period we are now in. Is there a distinct Viking that we are currently seeing? We think we have seen a trend that shows a slightly downward curve. Is it just us who have noticed this, or are there more people wondering?

If we look at the matches of the last month, there is little doubt that Viking has had a tough match schedule. We see that it has influenced the energy that was in the team early in the season. They deservedly lost the previous match away to Brann. The match before that was a loss in the cup against Sarpsborg. Just 4 days before that match they narrowly won at home 1-0 against an awkward Godset. They impressed no one in that match. The trip to Trøndelag and Rosenborg only resulted in 1-1, in what was actually an undeserved result. The last match we want to highlight here was that they barely got past Aalesund in the cup before that again.

In summary, we think this shows that they are struggling more than they did at the beginning of the season. In that sense, it could be tough against a Bodø Glimt that is chasing behind. Brann is now just behind. Tromsø and Bodø Glimt can pass if they have a point in their matches. So this Viking team has got competitors. In the slightly skewed table that is this year, it has almost looked a bit superior for this Viking team. But overall, this team has not impressed that much more than the other teams have.

They are the only team to have played more than half a series, and led the other team in the number of games. It may have taken some effort, and we think we see the trend.

Bodø Glimt – An old recipe has been put to use.

As some of us remember from the 90s-2000s, Rosenborg was in the same position that Bodø Glimt is now. They were in Europe and had a slightly different season and pre-season than the other teams in the Eliteserien. The same as Bodø Glimt now has. They had to be in shape early this year, and had a completely different start to this year's series. They almost ended up in a vacuum after being knocked out of the Semi-Finals against Tottenham. This meant that the season had to be restarted in a way, and many did not recognize the team from the north early in the season.

But the undersigned, who is from Trøndelag and remembers the glory days of RBK, has seen this before. Because usually when it was approaching the European games and the autumn season, the team was ready again. They rarely looked back then. If you think that Bodø Glimt does not have this in their scenario, you have not seen the whole picture. Nothing is accidental in the way Bodø Glimt builds a club. A club that has a strategy document that is so detailed that it even describes what material the kits should be made of (environment).

We just have to praise this club for the way they have managed to take a small club to where they are today, and at the same time keep their heads up on the administrative side. It's not easy. But back to the match here, we think we have seen the tendency that Bodø Glimt is on. They don't play flashy football, but have started to deliver results.

They have 3 games left on their current opponent, and are therefore on track to punish the team from Stavanger. If they win this one, and their games left, they will be ahead in the table. That is important. Because this is clearly one of the teams that can give Bodø Glimt a fight this season. They are also looking for revenge for the loss at home this season. A game they led 2-1 before they had a man sent off and Viking turned it around to 2-4. Since that game they are 4-1-1 in the last 6 games. Where a red card meant that they gave up the victory against Kristiansund 7 minutes into overtime. We still think that the team has looked better, and is probably in the process of playing in shape.

Conclusion – Two teams with slightly different curves.

We're putting our heads down a bit too much in this one. But we think we've picked up that these two teams have slightly different form curves. A Viking that looks a bit tired, while a Bodø Glimt that is about to break into form. The experience Bodø Glimt has gained through the last few years' European cups can clearly be decisive here. A partially full Lyse Arena will not be a tough challenge for Bodø Glimt, considering the stadiums and matches they have been through. This is business. as usual for them.

The teams are also in a busy period in the transfer market, and Bodø has already shown muscle by bringing in Magnus Bech Riisnæs. A player who should fit well into a team that dominates so much of the field game. In general, they have a very strong bench. Viking is probably more dependent on individual players. But Ruben Alte is rumored to be in. Guaranteed a signing that will fit well into this Viking team. He is still most likely not ready for this match.

We think we get paid so well for a win for the away team here that we try the following bet.

Eliteserien at 18:00: Viking – Bodø Glimt: Bodø Glimt wins (2.35)