LILLESTRM (VG) (Lillestrm – Sarpsborg 1-0) Currently he is less than efficient in front of goal, but an adapted version of Akor Adams (22) has gone straight into Lillestrm’s team and replaced last year’s top scorer Thomas Lehne Olsen.

Aftenposten collaborates with VG-sporten. Therefore, as a reader of Aftenposten, you also get the articles and services created by VG.

In front of a crowd of 9349 at råsen on 16 May, the Nigerian struck alone: ​​He ran, received, struggled and stretched the Sarpsborg defense until Lillestrm got a redeeming 1-0 scoreline, which was also the only match. target.

And the reason why the heavyweight striker at 92 kilos and 190 centimeters long was able to run from an opponent for the Nth time when Magnar degaard didn’t pay attention to the ball after 67 minutes, may be because Adams Chord hardly ever trains in upper body strength.

– I have grown over time, but I have never done any special strength training. Some would say there are genes and all that. My father and mother are both tall. But I want to keep the pace, so I don’t train with weights, said the 22-year-old, who passed the pass that gave match-winner Ylldren Ibrahimaj the goal.

This means that Lillestrm are still unbeaten in the Eliteserien, their only league, after seven games. And after 360 minutes of playing at home this season, still no opponent has managed to score at råsen.

– This is solidity. And I don’t think we have shown the top level yet. “I think it’s difficult to meet us,” Lillestrm coach Geir Bakke told VG.

At least meeting the Adams Chord was tough. Along with main contenders Holmbert Fridjonsson, they come to the rsen to replace Thomas Lehne Olsen’s 26 goals from 2021. The coach’s last name – Bakke – is the same at old club Sogndal as at Lillestrm, but otherwise Adams has passed a hefty adjustment to enter the Premier League. their new team.

– A huge amount. At Sogndal (Eirik) Bakke gave me freedom, I could dribble and do whatever I wanted. Here’s another top level, Adams himself said.

– He’s tired of “close” to deal with that speed and power. “Everyone saw his potential, so you also saw that he had to turn a few screws, so he was even more efficient,” said Geir Bakke, who revealed that Adams was surprisingly good when he came from the Obosligaen and to Lillestrm.

– What was nice about Holmbert and Akor when they came, was that they wanted to know how we worked with Thomas. “We didn’t have to adapt to them, but they adapted to us,” said assistant Bakke Petter Myhre, who received a lot of praise for Thomas Lehne Olsen being the league’s second top goalscorer and national team player. last year.

Against Sarpsborg, Lillestrm deserved an overall win in a clash with two attacking teams, but the visitors’ first quarter was the best. The Blues come into the away encounter with weak turf stats (five straight defeats), but with well-studied homework.

In their version of the 4-3-3 they immediately took command, insider Tobias Heintz continued to sneak into space behind Lillestrm’s midfield, Jonathan Lindseth pulled out some neat combinations and Anton Salétros shot and served.

Then the opponents lived dangerously, and having right-back Eirik Wichne turned the Swede’s beautiful game into the scoreline after a clever run after just five minutes, things could have been different at rsen.

But Mads Hedenstad Christiansen saved, and eventually the home side took over. It didn’t help for the visitors that centerpiece Salétros had to go out for a break, most likely after the injury he picked up in the first half, and forced Sarpe coach Stefan Billborn to 4-2-3-1.

But the Swede may have noticed Ifeanyi Mathew was winning ball after ball in midfield and that his team needed more balance. For LSK go up attack after attack by winning the high ball. Right wing-back Eskil Edh headed the post, left-back Vetle Dragsnes’ shot across the wall – and team captain Gjermund sen neither scored nor scored in this game is unbelievable.

Referee Tore Hansen most likely mistakenly deprived him of a 2-0 goal with a free-kick that was screwed onto the pitch and didn’t stop until he hit the net at the back post. The assistant dismissed Adams Chord for offside, and that wasn’t the only misjudgment from there:

Sarpsborg stopper Bjørn Inge Utvik should have earned his second yellow card when he cut off Eskil Edh soon after the break.

– Good start. Then we get insecure, lose speed on the ball and get too bad. “We became imprecise and unclear,” said Sarpsborg coach Stefan Billborn of the game.