Brøndby-OB

Sunday 23/3 19.00

Brøndby have been a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde team in 2014. Dr Jekyll at home where Brøndby have been dominating both FC Nordsjælland and AaB (SoTR: 72%). Mr Hyde away where Brøndby have earned four points in away matches against Esbjerg and Randers, despite hardly being able to combine two sucessful passes (SoTR: 33%). Brøndby are/have been suffering from several injuries. In defence they have been without Martin Albrechtsen and Khalid Boulahrouz. It is a weakening, but even though they have only allowed one (own) goal in the last two matches. In the midfield they have also attracted some problems. Regular midfielders Nørgaard and Hasani are new injuries, while alternative for the central midfield Phiri is suspended. It will be interesting to see who coach Frank select to join Ørnskov and Kahlenberg in the central midfield. Our guess is that they will move young right back Holst (who have some experience in this position) and introduce right back Almebäck to the right back position (he was a regular at the end of the autumn). It is not optimal but no tragedy. Brøndby still got their key players fit in this is important. OB (7th) rarely wins matches. In fact they have only won two of the last 10 matches. Last weekend against poor Viborg they were poor too. And this despite fielding what should be close to their preferred line-up. For this match OB will be far from the preferred line-up since the two central midfield dynamos Spelmann and Skulason are both suspended. A guess is that O’Brien and Schoop will take the central positions. Decent players, but not of the same quality as the energetic duo of Spelmann and Skulason. What is more concerning for OB is that they have not managed to get their quality wingers Rasmus Falk and Emil Larsen up to full speed. When the duo underperform the team rarely wins. Last time they met in Brøndby, the home team won 2-1 in a match that they should have won bigger. It seems like a bad match-up for OB: a team that gives away many chances against a team that creates a lot of chances.

Two teams without several players fight in a match where the home advantage could be vital. Brøndby have been another team when playing at home and against a OB team without their midfield workhorses they should earn three points.

Idea: 1 – 1.95 at Mermaidbet