BODØ (VG) (Bodø/Glimt-VIF 5-1) After four days of shrinking against Roma, Bodø/Glimt stepped up brilliantly with a big home win against Vålerenga.
It was so good to see that if I got the little things right, it would be fine. In Rome we were paralyzed and passive, so it’s easy to get our finger on the wrong side. Today we have a completely different power and intensity, Glimt captain Ulrich Saltniss tells VG.
He says they had to use the days after the loss to Rome well. Saltens admits defeat left its mark.
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One is disappointed and sad that such a poor performance ends this wonderful journey. We try to look high on it, but it wasn’t the end we wanted.
Kjetil Knutsen is back in the coaching staff again after being referred to the stands at Stadio Olimpico after the noise at Aspmyra. He is happy with the way his players were able to adapt to the loss on Thursday.
– It was unusual to lead the team again. I last sat 80 meters away. “I think it’s quite impressive that we have the ability to turn around completely after a poor performance,” Kjetil Knutsen says at a joint press conference at Aspmyra.
Vålerenga coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo may have been more understanding than many thought after the big loss. He believes the list is constantly being added back from the Bodø/Glimt team.
– There’s a class difference today. It surprises me that there is such a big difference. We met a birth two weeks ago. It was an even match. But we are nowhere near that level. Their quality means that we make mistakes we don’t usually make. You can parse this until you turn green, but now we have to lick the wounds, Vålerenga coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo tells VG.
Hugo Vetlesen has seen a massive development at Glimt since moving from Stabæk in 2020. He did at times to his satisfaction with the Vålerenga defense on Monday night, and was praised by Kjetil Knutsen after the match.
Playing today was simply fun. Every man achieves a very formidable achievement, says the two-goal scorer.
In front of a festive crowd, the awkward Vålerenga’s yellow jerseys gave an accidental real lesson in the art of playing glamorous soccer. Ola Solbakken started the scoring by hitting the ball home from 12 meters away after half an hour.
Then he gave the Norwegian champions Ulrik Saltens a 2-0 lead in the first half with a goal from close range.
After the break, Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen’s crew walked out of the locker room with a change of pace. Vålerenga’s profiles Aron Dønnum, Vidar Örn Kjartansson and Amor Layouni were nowhere near creating problems for the home team, while Runar Espejord and Hugo Vetlesen were sabotaged at the opposite end.
First, substitute Sondre Sørli entered the field and turned the post on Espejord, who responded by stabbing the ball into the goal. Then Vetlesen increased it to 4-0 and 5-0 with two great performances.
Bodo/Glimt striker Ronar Esbjord scored the third goal tonight for the hosts. He rated the match against Vålerenga as “good training in attack”.
– It was a very wonderful experience after what happened in Rome. It was nice to know we could pack up,” Espejord tells VG.
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