Viking came from a goal down to beat Sabah 4-1 in League phase matchday 4 of the Champions League at the Lyse Arena (Viking Stadion) on Wednesday night. Three of their goals arrived in the last 21 minutes, and Erik Botheim scored twice.
How the game was decided
Sabah led through Orphé Mbina in the 11th minute, with Umarali Rakhmonaliev providing the assist. Viking levelled in the 27th minute when Botheim scored from a Kristoffer Haugen assist.
The game stayed level until the 69th minute, when Zlatko Tripic scored to make it 2-1. The match events also record a missed penalty by Tripic in the same minute.
Sabah then lost Aden McCarthy to a red card in the 77th minute. Four minutes later Henrik Falchener made it 3-1, with Tripic setting him up. Botheim added the fourth in the 90+4th minute from a Peter Christiansen assist.
There were five bookings besides the red card. Haugen (2nd minute) and Gianni Stensness (18th) were cautioned for Viking. Rakhmonaliev (36th) and Joy-Lance Mickels (87th) were booked for Sabah.
What the numbers say
The statistics back up a home win, though possession was close, at 51% to 49% in Viking's favour.
- Total shots: Viking 21, Sabah 16
- Shots on target: Viking 8, Sabah 4
- Corners: Viking 10, Sabah 6
- Fouls: Viking 5, Sabah 9
- Offsides: Viking 4, Sabah 3
Viking put twice as many efforts on target as the visitors. Both sides had six shots blocked and Viking had seven off target to Sabah's six.
What it means in the table
The win lifts Viking to 23rd in the league-phase table. They have played four, won one and have four points, with a goal difference of -1. Before this game they had taken one point from their first three matches: defeats at Stuttgart and Aston Villa, both 3-1, and a 3-3 draw with Bayern.
That position is inside the places from ninth to 24th, which lead to the knockout play-offs. The top eight go straight through.
Sabah are 32nd with three points from four games and a goal difference of -6. They have one win, 2-0 against Slavia Praha, and defeats by Manchester United (4-0) and Dortmund (2-1) are among their results. Only Slovan Bratislava, who are 36th with no points, sit lower among the clubs in our table.
MFF's match model had predicted a 2-1 win for Viking. It had the winner right, but the margin was wider than forecast.
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