Top-of-the-table showdown: Godset host leaders Haugesund
Strømsgodset welcome league leaders Haugesund to Marienlyst on Sunday at 14:30 in a match that could decide who tops the table. More than 4,600 tickets had been sold with a day to go, and the season attendance record is within reach.
Top meets second
Haugesund arrive at Marienlyst as league leaders on 59 points. Strømsgodset sit second on 57 points, with Kongsvinger third on 56. The league table shows 26 matches played by each of the three clubs.
A home win would take Godset to 60 points and above Haugesund. The club's own match preview puts it simply: the team needs three points.
The hosts come into the game with momentum. According to the club, Godset have won five league games in a row and have not lost since 9 August. The most recent of those wins came in midweek, when Kongsvinger were beaten 5-1 at Marienlyst.
Chasing the season record
Interest in the game is high. With less than 24 hours to kick-off, the club reported that 4,600 tickets had already been sold.
The season's best crowd at Marienlyst so far is 5,296. That figure was set in the league opener against Stabæk. The club says the record is now within reach, and that supporters can still buy tickets through the club's ticketing partner TicketCo. Season tickets and the Godset subscription are valid for all home games in the top flight.
Marienlyst has an official capacity of 8,935, including standing areas, with about 8,040 covered seats. The stadium has four stands: the DnB stand, the H-vinduet-Fjerdingstad stand, the main stand and the Kiwi stand. GodsetUnionen, the club's supporter group, use the Kiwi stand. A record-breaking afternoon would still leave plenty of room in the ground.
Matchday programme
The club urges fans to arrive early and give the players a warm welcome. The matchday schedule is:
- 13:00: The supporter shop at entrance 1 opens.
- 13:30: The ticket office opens.
- Around 13:30: The goalkeepers come out to warm up.
- Around 13:45: The outfield players come out to warm up.
- 14:30: Kick-off.
The match is due to be played on Sunday 18 October, and nothing about its outcome is known at the time of writing.
What is at stake
The top of the table is tight. Only three points separate Haugesund from third-placed Kongsvinger, and Stabæk are in fourth on 49 points. Whoever takes the points on Sunday will gain an advantage in the race for the top spot.
For Godset, a win at Marienlyst would end the day on top of the table. It would also be a fitting reward for a run of results that has brought a buzz back to the old ground, known to locals as "Gamle Gress" (Old Grass).
Sources: godset.no, godset.ticketco.events