Big showdown in Molde / Eliteserien

Molde – Rosenborg, Saturday at 18:00

In the previous round, Molde suffered a somewhat surprising loss with 3-1 away to Sandefjord. This loss means that Molde now have only one win in their last four games. This trend must reverse if they are to keep up with Bodø/Glimt in the title fight. On Saturday, the Moldens will be visited by Rosenborg, who also need to bounce back after two straight defeats. Last weekend they lost against Brann, when Alfred Johansson’s men lost 3-0 in Bergen.

The last time these teams met, it ended with a 3-1 victory for Rosenborg at Lerkendal. You can see the highlights from that match below:

Kristiansund – Bodø/Glimt, Sunday at 2:30 p.m

Newly promoted Kristiansund have had a solid start to the season, with only one loss in their first six games. On Sunday, they will be visited by high-flying Bodø/Glimt, who have secured 16 points out of a possible 18 after six rounds. Glimt is not just the team that scores the most goals; they also let in the fewest, which will undoubtedly be a challenge for Amund Skiri and his players.

The match kicks off an exciting football Sunday in the Eliteserien, where we will be treated to a total of seven matches.

Sandefjord – Sarpsborg 08, Sunday at 17:00

Sandefjord stood with only one point after the first five rounds of this year’s league play, but took the first win of the season last weekend – a convincing 3-1 against Molde itself. This victory could prove to be a turning point. It was especially pleasing to see the jewel Danilo Al-Sead back on the field after a long injury break. This weekend they will be visited by Sarpsborg, who after a tough start to the season now have two straight victories. On Wednesday they met Molde in the cup, which ended in a loss and cup exit. It will be interesting to see how Wednesday’s game affects the visitors.

Last year, the matches between these teams ended with a big victory for each of the teams. Sarpsborg first crushed Sandefjord 6-1 at Sarpsborg Stadion, before Sandefjord took revenge with a 5-1 victory at Jotun Arena just over a month later. Will we see equally high-scoring matches between these teams this season?

Below you can see the highlights from the previous round’s victory for Sandefjord against Molde:

Strømsgodset – Viking, Sunday at 17:00

An exciting showdown awaits in Drammen between the teams that are number five and six in the table before the round. The home team, Strømsgodset, have had a good start to the season, but experienced a narrow 1-0 loss in Bodø last weekend, although they came close to equalizing four minutes into overtime. On Thursday, they met Lillestrøm in the fourth round of the cup, which resulted in a cup exit after extra time. It will be interesting to see how these 120 minutes of play will affect the squad for Sunday’s game.

The guests from Stavanger, Viking, have not quite reached the level they want this season, with only two wins in the first six games. They definitely need to score more points. In the previous round they won 2-1 against Tromsø, but a cup exit against Levanger in the middle of the week was undoubtedly a setback. It will be interesting to see if Viking can fight back on Sunday.

HamKam – Haugesund, Sunday at 17:00

HamKam has had a tough start to the season and is one of only two teams that have yet to win a league game this year. The team from Hamar has so far played seven league matches, with three draws and four losses. They must soon find a solution if they want to keep their place in the Eliteserien this season as well. A golden opportunity to secure their first three points presents itself this weekend, when Haugesund hosts Briskeby.

Haugesund was in the process of adapting to a new style under coach Thorvaldsson, but after the shock news that he and FKH are parting ways on Friday morning, it will be exciting to see which Haugesund team will compete in Hamar. So far, Haugesund has only two wins in the first six games, and it seems that the Rogalanders are facing another challenging season. Interestingly, both of their victories have come away from home, so it will be exciting to see if they can continue this trend in Hamar.

You can read more about Oskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson’s departure at fkh.no.

YMCA – Fredrikstad, Sunday at 17:00

Kåffa finally used their home pitch at Ekeberg in the previous home match, where they secured a strong point against Brann. Their good form continued with a win in Haugesund last round. With a total of 9 points after the first six rounds, they definitely have reason to be proud. This weekend they will be visited by Fredrikstad, who moved up together with YMCA from last year’s OBOS league. The guests from Østfold have also had a solid start to the season with 11 points from their first seven games, and only one loss against reigning champions Bodø/Glimt, so their start to the season has undoubtedly been approved.

The teams know each other well from the OBOS league, but it will be incredibly exciting to see how they stack up against each other in the Eliteserien.

Tromsø – Odd, Sunday at 17:00

In Tromsø there is a longing for a victory. After six league rounds, Gutan is without a single point, which has been a leaden start to the season. The trend must really turn for Jørgen Vik’s men if the season is not to end in disaster, especially after last year’s medal. Opponents Odd, for their part, have gone three league rounds without a win and of course want to reverse the trend when they travel north to Tromsø.

Lillestrøm – Fire, Sunday at 19:15

A classic awaits at Åråsen. In the main match in round 7, when yellow meets red, Lillestrøm is face to face with Brann. The new head coach, Georgson, has had a tough start to life at Romerike, but a main game at Åråsen is the perfect opportunity to fight back.

On the other side, Brann has started the season well. They dominated the previous round and won 3-0 over Rosenborg in front of a packed Brann Stadion. This week they are going to Åråsen, where historically they have had good results in recent years. Below are the highlights from Brann’s dominant performance last weekend: