Aiming to get their title charge back on track following a two-game winless run, SK Brann will welcome strugglers Kristiansund to Brann Stadion on Wednesday night for a Norwegian Eliteserien clash.
Rodtroyene suffered a disappointing defeat on home soil at the hands of Molde on Sunday, whilst the Owls lost narrowly on their travels at Rosenborg on the same day.
Match preview
After gaining some real momentum at the beginning of the 2024 schedule, Brann's eight-match unbeaten streak in the Eliteserien fell to pieces on Sunday afternoon, when Molde visited Brann Stadion and managed to become the first side to net three goals past Rodtroyene in a single match this season.
Scoring his maiden goal of the campaign from centre-back, Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen put the hosts ahead during the first half, but a second-period collapse from Brann allowed Molde to escape with maximum points, with Kristian Eriksen, seven-goal attacker Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Eirik Hestad all breaching the net of Mathias Dyngeland.
Despite collecting just a single point from their last two Eliteserien fixtures, Wednesday's hosts remain on the coattails of league leaders Bodo/Glimt in the early stages of the title race, with Brann currently sitting in third position, two points off the summit of the table.
Taking charge of Rodtroyene in August 2021 - just months before the club suffered relegation to the second tier - Eirik Horneland has shaped his troops into a side capable of fighting at the top of the Eliteserien once again, with the 49-year-old winning 70 of his 108 competitive matches at the helm to date, losing on just 20 occasions.
Although Sunday's loss to Molde is already Brann's second defeat in front of their own supporters this season, Rodtroyene have earned more points on home soil than any of their top-flight counterparts so far this season, winning four of their opening six contests at Brann Stadion.
Kristiansund's early-season struggles in the Eliteserien continued on Sunday afternoon, when the Owls made the trip to eighth-placed Rosenborg and were unable to escape with anything tangible, as Amund Skiri's side once again threw away a winning position and dropped crucial points.
Making the net ripple for the first time since 2021, midfielder Jesper Isaksen unexpectedly opened the scoring for Kristiansund in the first half, but the hosts staged a second-half renaissance, with strikes from Marius Broholm and Canadian Jayden Nelson turning the contest on its head.
Having collected just two points from five Eliteserien fixtures in May so far, the Owls have slumped down to 12th place in the league standings, only three points ahead of bottom side Tromso and level with Sarpsborg 08, who currently occupy the relegation playoff spot.
After finishing fourth in the Norwegian second division during 2023 and qualifying for the Eliteserien via the playoffs, Kristiansund will not be disheartened by a tough run of form over the past month, drawing confidence from statement successes over Tromso and Lillestrom earlier in the campaign.
The reverse fixture between Brann and Kristiansund last week ended with a share of the spoils following a four-goal thriller at Nordmore Stadion, where Oskar Sivertsen and Sebastian Jarl both found the back of the net for the Owls.
Team News
After featuring in the opening three matches of the Eliteserien term, Brann's Niklas Jensen Wassberg suffered a serious knee injury, meaning that he will be unavailable until early September.
The midfielder will be kept company by a fellow Rodtroyene youngster in the medical room, with left-back Jonas Torsvik still recovering from a groin strain.
Mads Sande's Brann career has been severely hindered by a cruciate ligament injury sustained last September, with the winger only making one appearance for the club since joining from FK Haugesund.
Having cemented himself as a regular for Kristiansund over the past two years, Max Norman Williamsen has been sentenced to a term on the sidelines in 2024 due to a ligament injury.
Marius Berntsen Olsen picked up an ankle knock in the battle against Brann last week, with the 23-year-old expected back in action at the end of June.
Following the defeat at Rosenborg on Sunday, Skiri may opt to freshen up his XI for Wednesday's clash, with the likes of Andreas Hopmark and Heine Gikling Bruseth pushing for starts.
SK Brann possible starting lineup:
Dyngeland; Crone, Pallesen Knudsen, Pedersen, Kristiansen; Kornvig, Heltne Nilsen, Myhre; Blomberg, Castro, Finne
Kristiansund possible starting lineup:
Lansing; Sjatil, Jarl, Ulvestad, Rakneberg; Alte, Bruseth, Isaksen; Gueye, Sivertsen, Mikaelsson
We say: SK Brann 2-0 Kristiansund
Regardless of their shock defeat to Molde on the weekend, Brann remain a force to be reckoned with on home soil and should be confident of returning to winning ways against newly-promoted Kristiansund.
The Owls are beginning to stutter at the top table of Norwegian football, and Brann Stadion is no place for a stumbling side to regain their footing.
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