Our prediction for this Norway Eliteserien match:
Buoyed by a hard-fought 2-1 win over Kristiansund, Molde will look to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they face Sarpsborg at Sarpsborg Stadion on Thursday evening. Erling Moe’s troops are eyeing their fourth consecutive league win, and they are likely to stick to their attacking style of play. A man to keep an eye on in the away team will be experienced forward Magnus Eikrem, who managed to find the net in three of the last four league fixtures, while midfielder Sivert Mannsverk is back from suspension.
The hosts, on the other hand, aim to make amends for back-to-back losses to Lillestrom and Aalesund. Considering that Molde have been in a much better form of late and Sarpsborg, we are tempted to put our money on the visiting side. Defender Eirik Wichne remains on the sidelines with a groin problem for the home team.
Highlighted Player (Kristoffer Larsen):
Kristoffer Larsen is a Norwegian footballer who played for Vestsiden-Askoy IL at youth level. In 2011 he joined Brann and after scoring 11 goals in 91 appearances in the league for the Norwegian club, he moved to Denmark in 2016, signing a deal with Lyngby.
Larsen, who was born in Bergen (Norway) on January 19, 1992, played 41 games for the Danish club before returning to Norway. The pacey winger signed a contract with Sarpsborg 08 at the end of the 2017/2018 season and, as a result, he will participate in the 2018/2019 Europa League group stages.
Kristoffer Larsen’s favourite position is left winger, but he is used as a right winger as well. Larsen, who has yet to earn a cap for the Norwegian national football team, wears No. 19 shirt at Sarpsborg. It has to be noted that his preferred foot is right and that his contract with Sarpsborg 08 should expire in June, 2019.
Highlighted Team (Molde):
Based in Molde, Norway, Molde FK are one of the most successful Eliteserien clubs of the century. The Blues won their fourth domestic championship in 2019, with the team finishing the process 14 points clear of second-place Bodo.
However, Molde failed to defend their trophy the following season as Bodo looked unstoppable in the Norwegian top flight. Speaking of the Norwegian Cup, the Blues clinched their fourth silverware in 2014, with the team beating Odd 2-0 in the title game. The Eliteserien outfit play home games at Aker Stadion, the venue with the capacity of 11,249 spectators.
Thanks to a second-place finish in the 1998 Eliteserien campaign, Molde qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever. As a result, the likes of Real, Porto, and Olympiakos visited Norway. Molde are well known for their blue shirts and white shorts, with the team wearing white jerseys and blue shorts when playing on the road.