One of these teams have just been promoted into the league, whilst the other was relegated from the top flight. However, on the opening day of the 2023 Superettan campaign last weekend, it was the supposedly lower quality newly-promoted side that had the better of it. Gefle, after winning the Ettan Norra last season, began life in the second-tier with a 1-0 win away at Trelleborg, whilst just-relegated Helsingborgs were beaten late on by Osters by a goal to nil.

So, following promotion from the third and regionalized tier last season, Gefle, under the management of Mikael Bengtsson, will be very pleased with their start. They took an early lead in their aforementioned victory away to Trelleborg but held on for over 87 minutes, showing the signs of their defensive performances that meant they conceded just 29 goals in 30 games last season.
Helsingborg have stuck by their co-management duo of Mattias Lindstrom and Alvaro Santos but the pressure will be growing on the pair after their relegation last year means they will be expected to challenge for automatic promotion this time around. The visitors will also be frustrated to have lost both Frederik Holst and Wilhelm Loeper to first-half injuries last week as well as Philip Rejhnold, who had been a substitute in the first half initially.

These are two sides that come into this season with very different general expectations for the campaign. Survival will be viewed as success for Gefle and they take on one of the pre-season title favourites. It is Gefle’s first home game of the season, though, following that promotion so they will be confident of at least posing a major threat to a Helsingborg side that have already stumbled.
The home team are going to be playing in front of a buoyant Gavlevallen crowd on Monday and will seek to take the game to their opposition. Combine that with Helsingborg’s’ naturally better quality, albeit on paper, and this could be a fun watch.

Easter Sunday’s Danish Superliga matches start in Herning where FC Midtjylland take on Lyngby. Both sides need points to achieve their goals this season, and it should be an interesting fixture.

Midtjylland got back to their old ways last weekend when they defeated OB 3-1. The sacking of former head coach Albert Capellas seems to have ignited the Black Wolves who finally looked like themselves last week. The players were aggressive and confident, which equated to creating chances and playing entertaining football once again. Thomas Thomasberg seems to have revived a team that looked ready to die, and for this game, he gets former-Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lössl back from suspension. The Wolves can thus allow themselves to be optimistic once again, and they remain favourites to finish 7th and earn the chance to qualify for European football.

Lyngby have started the spring season well, but they still have six points between themselves and Horsens on the right side of the relegation line. With just nine games left, Lyngby are thus under pressure if they want to survive. Last week, they drew against Silkeborg and played nicely, but it was also proven once again that Lyngby lack the needed quality to win close games. That has now gotten even harder as top scorer Alfred Finnbogason, former-Eredivisie top scorer, picked up an injury last weekend and should miss the rest of the season. Defender Kristian Riis is also sidelined.

Midtjylland looked good last week, and we expect them to get their second victory in a row under Thomasberg. The pick of the game is a home victory at odds 1.60 at Betfair Sportsbook.

Both teams finished in the top seven last season and will be hopeful of launching at least playoff bids again. KFUM Oslo have lost their long-standing manager Jorgen Isnes who was tempted by an Eliteserien project with Strømsgodset. There is no doubt that Isnes will be missed but there is a general feeling of continuity at the club because assistant manager Johannes Moesgaard has now got the top job. An incredible 26 out of 30 KFUM league matches ended with over 2.5 goals in them last season and both teams scored in 23 of their games. Not too much is going to change with their approach although the loss of centre-back Fredrik Kristensen Dahl could make them more vulnerable at the back.

It was a mixed season for Sogndal in 2022. They missed out on the playoffs by three points and overall, they probably slightly underachieved. However, it was the first season as a head coach for Tore Andre Flo, the former Chelsea striker. He showed some good and bad things, and their results were inconsistent. Flo switched between 4-4-2 and 3-4-3 formations, and he could mix things up again this year. Sogndal fixtures averaged 3.60 goals per game last season, and they will once again carry a strong offensive punch with Mexican Alejandro Diaz and Jonatan Ingi Jonsson upfront.

KFUM did the double over Sogndal last year beating them 2-1 and 3-2. This match should naturally contain plenty of goals because of the style both teams play. Despite the manager change at KFUM, the system remains the same and Sogndal will continue to attack hard with Tore Andre Flo in charge. Over 2.5 goals can be blacked at 1.44 and this looks like a very safe selection for the opening round of games.

It was a topsy-turvy season for Mjøndalen last year. They started like a train and looked set for an immediate bounce-back promotion. However, a mid-season slump eventually saw long-standing manager Vegard Hansen sensationally sacked in emotional circumstances. Taking over was Scotsman Kevin Nicol who has now kept the job permanently. MIF will be hoping to launch a strong promotion bid this season and there is room for optimism because Nicol won half his games in charge last season, including a 2-1 win against Brann which prevented Brann from having an invincible season. Nicol changed the approach of the team from defence first to a far more attacking unit. 8 of his 10 games in charge ended with over 2.5 goals in them.

Åsane finished 13th and just one spot above the relegation zone. That must be classed as a success for this club though and a similar outcome would be most welcome once again. Manager Morten Rossland starts his 5th season in the top job, and you know exactly what you are going to get with this team in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Åsane averaged a massive 1.99 xGA per match last year and their defence was generally terrible. Their fixtures averaged 3.60 goals per game and there’s no real reason to suggest anything will significantly change. It could be a struggling year and they will once again need the goals of striker Erling Myklebust.

There is a misconception that Mjøndalen are a low-scoring defensive side, mostly because of the reputation that former manager Vegard Hansen developed. Things look different now under Kevin Nicol and it is no surprise to see MIF as 1.75 favourites to win here. Over 2.5 goals look like an even better bet at 1.57 though. Facing a likely porous defence Mjøndalen will attack from the off here and playing on an artificial surface at this stage of the season will do them no harm. Nicol actually lost his first game in charge of the club vs Åsane 1-3, but he can get his revenge here with a similar scoreline the other way around.

Varberg have managed to solidify their status as an Allsvenskan team in recent seasons, although they survived by the skin of their teeth through a relegation playoff last year. Without many credible reinforcements in the off-season, they may have to ready themselves for a similar fate this time around. In previous years when finishing in mid-table, their solid defence made them hard to beat, but last season, they were very leaky. This trend has continued in pre-season, conceding five goals in two defeats against Västerås and AIK in the cup. Al Hamlawi looks like a good signing, but it is difficult to see where the goals will come from to keep them out of a relegation battle.

Elfsborg, meanwhile, have an impressive-looking squad and a good manager in Jimmy Thelin. Last season contained a disastrous period, but they rallied and finished the season very strongly. They have seen plenty of quality players return to reinforce the team in the last year, with the likes of Johan Larsson, Niklas Hult, and Sebastian Holmén still having plenty to give and creating a formidable defensive set-up. Gustav Lagerbielke has returned from an impressive loan spell at Degerfors but looks to be third-choice in central defence despite being an interesting prospect.
At the other end, the winger options of Okkels, Bernhardsson, and Ondrejka can cause trouble for any defence. The striker position is the one area they may struggle somewhat, but both Frick and Gudjohnsen act as a focal-point to bring others into play rather than being the primary goal threat. A very interesting side all in all which should be able to challenge for European football again with no such distractions like last season.

The away team is too strong a proposition for Varberg, even at home, so an Elfsborg win is on the cards.

These two had very different starts to their 2023 Superettan season with Osters pulling off a surprising but impressive 1-0 win away at just relegated and likely title contenders Helsingborg, whilst Trelleborg were beaten 1-0 by newly-promoted Gefle at home.

The home team, under the management of Srdjan Tufegdzic, finished the 2022 Superettan campaign third in the table but suffered a defeat to Varberg BoIS in the Allsvenskan/Superettan relegation/promotion playoff match at the end of last season. They went into this year hoping and expecting to go one better and that result last weekend will have only strengthened their belief.
Trelleborg, on the other hand, will be concerned about their prospects this season with that surprise loss at home to Gefle last weekend. Last season, the visitors finished just a place and three points below Osters in the table and would have anticipated another realistic push toward the top three and potential promotion to the top flight.

During the off-season in the winter, Trelleborg did lose some important players which could be what causes the most damage to their hopes of another tilt at the top this time around. Jesper Modig joined Superettan rivals AFC Eskilstuna, whilst Simon Amin moved to Norway to sign for Sandefjord.

Osters also lost some key men, too, though, with the 200,000 euro sale to Hammarby of Casper Eklund, as well as Oliver Silverholt to Allsvenskan side Varberg, who defeated Osters in the aforementioned end-of-season playoff.

Despite that, with the impressive management of Tufegdzic, the home team look well-placed to finish in at least the top three once again. With their home advantage, off the back of their victory last week, they will be confident of continuing an excellent start to the season.

Both of these sides featured in relatively entertaining matches on the first match day of the 2023 Superettan season. Vasteras started with a dramatic 2-1 win away at promotion hopefuls Brage, whilst Orgryte IS began with a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw at home to AFC Eskilstuna.

Under the management of Kalle Karlsson, Vasteras will be looking to build on a mid-table finish last season. They were one of the most entertaining teams in the league last year with their 30 matches consisting of 99 goals and a satisfying record of ten wins, ten draws, and ten losses. Their 2-1 loss at last year’s seventh-placed team, Brage, will be pleasing, especially considering they managed just four away wins in their 15 matches on the road in 2022.

Last season, for much of the campaign, OIS battled against relegation and eventually avoided the drop in the promotion/relegation playoff with Sandviken, although they lost the home second leg to suffer a major fright. Last year was a year of underperformance for the club and they will be expected to push on up the table. Four victories, two draws and a defeat to last year’s champions Brommapojkarna, away from home, in their last seven regular season Superettan matches is more like the form they will be hoping to emulate throughout 2023.

This is a match between one of the most entertaining teams in the league from last season and one team that are hoping to continue the good form that they finished the 2022 season with. Jeffrey Aubynn, who took charge of OIS, was Jon Dahl Tomasson’s assistant manager at Malmo so it is likely the style of play will develop into something quite similar to Tomasson and Malmo, which was high in its intensity and quite risky to play.

With all of that in mind, this one could be quite entertaining for the neutral with both sides eyeing up what would be a very good start to the Superettan season after two games.

Two of Denmark’s most in-form teams meet in Randers Sunday afternoon. The home team are currently sitting fifth in the league, while the guests conquered first place last week by defeating Nordsjælland.

Randers are coming off a 1-1 draw against arch-rivals AGF, but they have only lost one of their six spring games. They are thus entering this match in good shape form-wise. However, last week they lost head coach Thomas Thomasberg to FC Midtjylland, and he was the main guy behind their recent success. Under his reign, the horses turned into one of Denmark’s toughest teams, and now he is gone. It was obvious that they missed him during their last game, and his replacement is in his first head coaching job ever. They have thus lost a ton of experience on the sideline, which hurts.

Copenhagen are in even better form than Randers. They have won nine league games in a row, and their last defeat was all the way back in September. The White Lions have the strongest team on paper in the Superliga, and by defeating FC Nordsjælland last weekend, they overtook them in the league. Anything but yet another championship would be a massive disappointment for Copenhagen, but with them looking almost unbeatable at the moment, they are also firm favourites to bring home the title.

We expect Copenhagen’s winning streak to continue against a Randers side that have recently lost one of the most successful coaches the club has ever had. Odds 1.60 on a Copenhagen victory at Betfair Sportsbook is great value.

After finishing fourth in both 2021 and 2022, Lillestrøm will be hoping to finally make it into the medal spots this year. There is a lot to be excited about with LSK. They arguably have the best strike duo in the entire league with both Thomas Lehne Olsen and Akor Adams massive weapons up front. Nigerian forward Adams is a highly coveted player and may well be trying to put himself in the shop window for a summer move. Olsen is a proven scoring juggernaut at Eliteserien level. Lillestrøm have also reinforced by sighing powerhouse centre-back Ruben Gabrielsen from Austin FC in MLS. They mean business this season.

Strømsgodset were the only team in the league to change their manager during the winter. Jørgen Isnes comes in from OBOS Ligaen side KFUM Oslo where he came close several times to get them promoted. He is going to change their tactical style entirely switching form a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 system. This might mean that the team are in a period of transition and there could be some teething problems. One main area of focus might be on improving their terrible away record which has been very poor for several years. They lost 9 out of 15 road fixtures last season and picked up only two victories vs Haugesund and relegated Kristiansund.

Lillestrøm are the deserving favourites to win at 1.60 but that might actually be a big price when you consider the quality and class of both teams. Lillestrøm should challenge for the top three whilst Godset realistically are just looking to survive. There is a more unpredictable element about the visitors with a new manager change but this is a really tough first fixture away at Arasen Stadion. I am expecting a fairly comfortable home win and Lillestrøm are worth backing to prevail.

This should be an exciting match to start the season involving two attack-minded teams who love to take risks. Sarpsborg finished an eventual 8th last year but it was a serious rollercoaster ride involving an 8-game losing streak. Manager Stefan Billborn was close to losing his job, but they managed to finish the campaign in brilliant form unbeaten in 10 games. His approach is a high-pressing, high-energy system that often breeds goals at both ends of the field. Sarpsborg fixtures averaged 3.70 goals per game last year which sums up the entertainment which is likely to be on offer.

Bodø/Glimt won the Eliteserien in both 2020 and 2021 but were toppled by an impressive Molde last season. They will have ambitions to win back their gold medal and look to start the campaign on the front foot. The project and achievements here at Bodø/Glimt have to be admired greatly. Manager Kjetil Knutsen is highly admired for his fantastic work and it’s amazing they have managed to hold onto him for so long. Glimt won 10 out of 15 away games last season and performed well on the road. Their fixtures averaged a whopping 4.2 goals per game!

In both head-to-head meetings last season Glimt won this fixture 4-1. Sarpsborg did their best to be competitive and certainly ‘had a go’, but ultimately their style suits the way Glimt play. I don’t see much changing here so an away victory is likely again. However, goals are even more probable so taking over 2.5 looks like a great bet. Both teams should be able to contribute.