BODØ (VG) After several tough matches against the Norwegian opposition, Bodø/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen (53) has made it crystal clear: Norwegian football is in the wind.
“Yes, I think so without a doubt,” Knutsen tells VG when asked if he’s noticed an increase in level from last season.
There was only one point at home to Rosenborg, losing to Vikings in Stavanger and defeat in the Cup Final to Molde in Olival.
Watch Elite Series and OBOS League live on Discovery +
And on Sunday, Lillstrom became the fourth team this season to achieve at least a draw with the league champions.
– There are many teams that are doing well now. It is a game of ‘Go’ in Norwegian football. Knutsen says other teams want to be involved and be as good or better, and he mentions Saturday’s match between Moldy and Vikings as a “good product match”.
One such team is Sunday’s opponent, who is unbeaten in his first six matches at Eliteserien, and with four setbacks, is also the team that has conceded the fewest goals so far this season.
– We must get better. We see that today. We are starting to have a group who love to play football matches. We know it ends up being a good thing, said Lilleström coach Geir Buck when asked if LSK had made it to the top flight of Norwegian football.
Despite the fact that Lillestrøm took points from Aspmyra for the first time since 2016, the LSK coach had several things to point out.
Not only did the victory slip away, but Bodo/Glimt led the match for extended periods and increasingly dominated during the second half.
The Northerners’ win by corner stats with a stunning score of 17-3, says something about where most of the game is taking place.
– There are some mixed feelings. They pulled us pretty hard in large parts of the second half, but I’m a little disappointed. We get the game swings we want, and throw them out of balance multiple times, without using them the way we want them to. With a little more accuracy, we score more goals on them, says Buck.
Lilleström goalkeeper Mads Heidenstadt Kristiansen kept the hopes of a win alive by saving a superb penalty save. He believes LSK can establish itself as a great team.
This is the goal. We have no reason not to say it, the goalkeeper tells VG.
At the same time, Knutsen & Co. Well with how to maintain dominance. He described the match against Lillestrom as “a step in the right direction towards a team that has been so successful lately”.
We are working every day to get more tools in our toolbox. We’re working with it, and then there’s a step in the right direction and so many steps we have to take before we say we’re good against this type of formation or other formations, says Knutsen, who at the same time thinks of the analysis that the formation alone has caused problems. For Glimt, it is very simple.
Roma, Rosenborg, Viking, Molde, and Lestrom all avoided losses against Bodo/Glimt by playing 3-5-2 shapes.
Rome and the Vikings in particular succeeded in pushing the Bodo/Glimt hard. In front of Lillestrøm, Knutsen was particularly happy that Bodø/Glimt managed to take control of the match and force Lillestrøm to lie on the ground.
– We must continue to work on how to solve it. We have a plan and I think we’ve at least partially accomplished it, says Glimt Captain Brady Moe.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
