The final round of Eliteserien 2021 is upon us and still with plenty to play for! At the top of the league, Glimt and Molde are battling for the right to call themselves champions, while at the bottom, Mjøndalen, Brann and Stabaek continue to jostle for that solitary and all-important play-off place.

Last Sunday, Glimt’s late collapse against Brann ruined what would’ve been a perfect week, so without any more fuss, here are the final five predictions for the Eliteserien 2021 season.

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Mjøndalen vs Bodø/Glimt

Despite drawing their last two games in Eliteserien, the reigning champions know they require just a single point if they are to retain the title. Last week’s 2-2 draw with lowly Brann spoiled plenty of betting slips, but with Molde also failing to win following a late equaliser by Lillestrøm, the impetus is very much with the men from the north.

Mjøndalen, on the other hand, have a solitary win in their last five outings and if their previous game against Vålerenga is any indication, they seem resigned to playing football in OBOS-Ligaen next year. They conceded 19 shots against their hosts, while mustering very little attacking threat of their own against a side prone to conceding sloppy goals.

A busy season, which has seen Glimt committed to European schedule they have seldom been accustomed to, has threatened to stymie their charge towards the title, but it is rare indeed that Kjetil Kuntsen’s side fail to score. That the fixture takes place at Mjøndalen’s Consto Arena should not be a cause for concern, either; the hosts have won just one of their last nine home matches. Glimt should have enough ability to secure the title in front of their travelling support.

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Rosenborg v Strømsgodset

Neither Rosenborg – who sit in fourth, seven points behind Viking – nor Strømsgodset – who occupy 11^th place – have anything left to play for this season except for the last vestiges of pride in what has been a disappointing campaign for both clubs.

The Trondheim outfit did at least stem a worrying streak without a win last weekend when they swept aside Stabaek 3-1 away from home, and should be powerful enough in most departments to see of a Strømsgodset team that have endured a similarly torrid end to the calendar. Against Stabaek, they created three big chances and produced their highest xG (1.85) for several weeks. When their attackers click, Rosenborg can be frightening. Strømsgodset, meanwhile, have spent the last three seasons eddying in the lower reaches of the division, rarely threatening the top half, but seldom in danger of actual relegation. 2021 seems like another year of nothingness, and with the club sitting ten points clear of the relegation play-off spot, their campaign has slowed to a nonchalant stroll. A miserable record consisting of a single win in their last ten matches isn’t likely to be improved upon this weekend.

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Brann v Sarpsborg

Were it not for a series of goalkeeping errors in October that compounded a hapless run of three draws which probably could have and should have been three wins, Brann would be in a much healthier position, befitting their status as one of Norway’s bigger clubs. Instead, their hopes rest on beating Sarpsborg while hoping Stabæk somehow do not contrive to secure all three points against Odd.

Brann have been largely destitute for much of the campaign, but a late rally against champions Glimt last weekend saw them clinch an unlikely point and keep their hopes of avoiding automatic relegation alive. Traditionally, the Bergen side have a solid record against their visitors, having lost just one of their previous eleven meetings, but without a consistent goal threat this year, do not expect this to be a high-scoring affair.

Sarpsborg, for all their involvement in the drama of a final day in which three sides are vying for a single play-off spot, are firmly ensconced as much in the middle of midtable as you can be. They can finish no higher than 8^th and no lower than 9^th, so motivation for this final game of the campaign may well be lacking. As such, with so much at stake for Brann, they might well be able to sneak the win they so desperately crave.

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Molde v Haugesund

Had second-placed Molde not conceded an 89^th-minute equalised against Lillestrom last weekend, they would be breathing down the neck of league leaders Glimt. Instead, having squandered this golden opportunity to bring the championship back to the west coast, they can only hope for a slip-up while they attempt to extend their enviable record against their visitors.

Molde have won the last eight meetings between the two clubs to the tune of 22 goals to seven, even if the return fixture this season ended in a nine-goal thriller, and enter this fixture in ominous goal-scoring form. The league’s leading scorers have plundered eleven in four games recently, while routinely outperforming their expected goals (xG).

Conversely, Haugesund are accustomed to losing to Molde, and with little else to play for, they are another team whose season is ending with something of a whimper. They’ve picked up just a single win since September, albeit an impressive 7-0 thrashing of Mjøndalen, while Ibrahima Wadji remains their top scorer despite leaving for Qarabag in the middle of August. A Molde win almost seems inevitable.

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Tromsø v Viking

Viking have already secured third place ahead of their visit to the far north where they will meet one of the division’s in-form teams in Tromsø. Both teams are unbeaten in four games and will be looking to end the season on a high.

For Viking, European football is guaranteed in 2022, while they can still mathematically catch Molde in second, providing they close the three-point gap and see a swing of 18 goals in their favour. On the goals front, Veton Berisha will be looking to add to his career-best 22 strikes, whereas TIL this week secured the services of highly-rated attacker August Mikkelsen until 2025.

Tromsø, of course, are specialists in draws, having registered eleven this season, including four in their last six games, so they should make this an intriguing game for a Viking side who are well-versed in making things hard for themselves. Overall, given their attacking quality, Viking should have enough to see this game through, but Tromsø are a stubborn nut to crack and enjoy rallying back from conceding first.

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Back my Eliteserien bets ⬇️

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