Head-to-Head
- Sandnes Ulf have not beaten IL Hødd since 2016.
- Hødd have undergone a significant off-field change with the appointment of Ivan Poulsen as manager in January 2026.
Sandnes Ulf
- Sandnes Ulf will offer a different test to what Hødd are used to because Arturo Cleveland’s team have a more pragmatic style and will play a high-tempo game with directness and pressing to try and create a numerical advantage in the opposing half.
- Sandnes beat Notodden 7-0 in July last year, but then suffered a 3-1 defeat to Eik-Tønsberg at the end of last season.
- They have played some good friendlies in 2026 so far with a 2-2 draw at Haugesund and a 2-1 win at Vidar in March showing they can score goals.
- Sandnes are likely to field a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 in this game with the wing-backs high up the field in order to exploit the channels.
- Ole Sebastian Sundgot will probably be their target man up front after strong lower-division form.
- They have a talented creative player on the left in Yann-Erik de Lanlay and a experienced keeper in Aslak Falch who has plenty of OBOS-ligaen experience.
IL Hødd
- After a disappointing 10th-placed finish in the 2025 OBOS-ligaen, IL Hødd Ulsteinvik’s form in pre-season will give an indication as to whether Ivan Poulsen’s managerial style can bring more attacking intent to a team that struggled offensively in 2025.
- Hødd scored only 34 goals across the season in the OBOS-ligaen last year and their last reported result in pre-season was a 0-0 draw with Kristiansund in January 2026.
- Poulsen, who joined in January 2026, is a manager that has always focused on developing young players and getting his teams to score goals.
- Hødd are likely to play in a 4-2-3-1 with a midfield general like Torbjørn Kallevåg controlling the tempo and providing a set-piece threat, while Matthew Scarcella can add box-to-box energy and Sebastian Haugland some spark to their attacking line.
Key Players
- Torbjørn Kallevåg - midfield general and set-piece threat.
- Matthew Scarcella - box-to-box energy.
- Sebastian Haugland - attacking spark.
- Ole Sebastian Sundgot - likely target man up front.
- Yann-Erik de Lanlay - creative left-sided player.
- Aslak Falch - experienced OBOS-ligaen goalkeeper.
- Ivan Poulsen - new Hødd manager (January 2026).
- Arturo Cleveland - Sandnes Ulf manager.
Betting Insights
- A 3.5 chance for this to finish as a tie seems fair given both teams will probably come out positive and looking to set the tone for their respective OBOS-ligaen campaigns.
- Both teams to net - Yes at 1.57 and Over 2.5 goals at 1.71 are also the sort of odds you can get at an online sports betting site.
Prediction
A draw is a realistic outcome given both sides are likely to be positive and searching for early momentum.
