Odd beat Sandefjord 3-1 in the cup, Sandnes ULF visit Sunday

Odd's Ballklubb won their NM Cup tie against Sandefjord 3-1 at Skagerak Arena on Wednesday, after leading 2-0 at half-time. The win comes just days before Sandnes ULF visit Skien for a league match on Sunday.

A cup night at Skagerak Arena

Odd were at home in the NM Cup round of 32 on Wednesday, 28 October, and the final score at Skagerak Arena was 3-1. Odd led 2-0 at half-time, so the hosts went into the break with a comfortable cushion against Sandefjord.

Odd had been the home side with the edge on paper. Sandefjord travelled to Skien without four injured players: Devon Koswal, Marcus Melchior, Nikolaj Möller and Filip Loftesnes-Bjune were all listed as unavailable before kick-off. Odd also have the better history in this fixture, with 13 wins to Sandefjord's 7 and 9 draws in the head-to-head record.

The result matters beyond the cup. The previous home match, on 18 October, ended in a 2-1 defeat to Strommen after Odd had led 1-0 at the break. Wednesday's win means the squad goes into the weekend with a victory behind it rather than a second-half collapse.

Sandnes ULF next in Skien

The attention now turns to the league. Odd host Sandnes ULF at Skagerak Arena on Sunday, 1 November, with kick-off at 5:00 PM.

On the table, Odd are fifth with 45 points from 28 matches. Sandnes ULF are 13th with 29 points from the same number of games, a gap of 16 points. That makes Odd clear favourites on paper, though Sandnes sit just one point behind Sogndal in 12th and level on points with Moss in 14th. They are fighting to put distance between themselves and the bottom of the table, which should make them a determined visitor.

What is at stake

For Odd, the picture is clearer. They are 10 points behind fourth-placed Stabaek on 55, and five points ahead of sixth-placed Bryne on 40. The top three of Haugesund (62), Stromsgodset (60) and Kongsvinger (59) are further away still. Another home win would help Odd protect their position in the upper half of the table.

Odd were beaten by Strommen on their last league outing at the arena. Sunday offers a chance to put that right in front of their own supporters, and to follow the cup win with a league victory.

The match is a Sunday afternoon fixture, and supporters heading to Skagerak Arena can expect a team that has just won at home and will want to carry that momentum into the league.

Sources: football24hours.com, flashscore.com.ng, fotmob.com