Preview: Viborg FF vs. Odense - prediction, team news, lineups

Without a win against Odense in two years, Viborg FF welcome De Stribede to Energi Viborg Arena for Friday's Danish Superliga opener.

Both clubs had mixed pre-seasons, leaving supporters to wonder which version of their sides will turn up for the opening gameweek of the 2026-27 season.

Match preview

Nickolai Lund's Greens are back in top-flight action after a season in which the four-time First Division winners missed out on Europe and a chance to compete in the tournament proper on the continent.

While their attempts in 2000 and 2022 were ultimately unsuccessful, Lund's team must move on from the disappointment of not having a third try.

Results in the off-season have been mixed, with the Greens winning just two of their five tune-up matches ahead of the 26-27 campaign.

Notably, though, having conceded four goals in their first two pre-season fixtures, drawing 1-1 with AGF and losing 3-1 to Aalborg, two clean sheets in three followed, as they beat Notts County (2-0) and Aarhus Fremad, giving them much-needed positivity ahead of their opening fixture.

That encouragement is needed for the hosts on Friday, with supporters remembering their team's underwhelming results at Viborg Stadium to end the 2025-26 championship round.

Aware of Viborg losing three of their last four on home soil at the end of the previous term, this weekend's visitors aim to extend their undefeated streak in this fixture.

Having been on the receiving end of 3-1 and 2-1 losses in 2024, Odense inflicted defeats by the same score on Viborg last term to leave them on the brink of three wins in a row in this fixture, something they last achieved after 2-0, 1-0 and 5-1 wins between September 2015 and April 2016.

However, last season's eighth-placed side head into the first gameweek on the back of deflating, heavy defeats to Brøndby and Midtjylland, falling 4-0 and 4-1, respectively.

Those heavy defeats followed wins over Kolding IF (2-1) and Hillerød (2-0), leaving observers to doubt De Stribede's current level.

Admittedly, it would be odd to demand a bright start from OB, given how they finished the previous season.

Alexander Zorniger's side lost three of their last five games in the relegation round and two of their seven matches, suffering four defeats during that time.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see how a side that won just one of their last seven away matches across the regular and post-season matches start 26-27 on their travels.

Viborg FF friendlies form:

Odense Danish friendlies form:

Team News

Viborg are expected to be without Yonis Njoh, Mohamed and Iyadh Riahi (knee), while Hjalte Bidstrup, Sami Jalal and Tim Freriks are also likely absentees.

Charly Nouck scored six goals for the Greens last season, more than any teammate, and the forward should start on Friday.

While Nouck also assisted three goals last term, Thomas Jorgensen led the way with seven, highlighting his role as the team's most creative outlet.

The visitors are likely to be without Jay-Roy Grot, while William Martin's injury will be assessed before Friday.

Noah Ganaus and Jann-Fiete Arp scored 11 and 10 league goals respectively last term, outdoing every other OB player, and both men should play from the off for last season's eighth-placed side.

Viborg FF possible starting lineup:

Lund; Bundgaard, Kirkegaard, Zaletel, Kuzmic; Jorgensen, Gronning, Beck; Nouck, Hanza, Brahimi

Odense possible starting lineup:

Hansen; Sorensen, Askou, Gomez, McCoy; Arp, Keskinen, Falk, Ouedraogo; Niemiec, Ganaus