Seventh-placed Stromsgodset travel to the Sarpsborg Stadion on Sunday afternoon to face 13th-placed Sarpsborg 08 in the Norwegian Eliteserien.
The visitors are four points behind fourth-placed Molde, who have played a game more, while the hosts are just a point above the relegation zone after nine matches.
Match preview
After three consecutive eighth-placed finishes in the Norwegian Eliteserien, Sarpsborg's start to this campaign could be setting them up to finish in the middle of the table once again.
Although they currently sit in 13th and just a point above the relegation zone, every team from 13th to eighth has so far taken 10 points from the opening fixtures.
While the top three have already created a significant lead at the top of the table, the remainder of the teams are all extremely tight in points, meaning every result could see a large shakeup in the standings.
A win for Sarpsborg in their coming match could see them potentially move into sixth depending on results elsewhere, but a loss could see them drop into the bottom three if those below them are victorious.
A 7-1 defeat to HamKam 10 days prior to this upcoming fixture would have sparked worry in the Sarpsborg camp, but they bounced back brilliantly in their last outing with a 4-2 victory over fourth-placed Molde.
That win will have given them plenty of confidence to take into the matchup with Stromsgodset, who have shared the spoils in this ground over the past years with two wins each in the last four meetings.
The visitors also bounced back from a series of defeats in their last game as they beat Haugesund 2-0, bringing an end to a run of four consecutive defeats across all competitions.
Despite that poor run of results, Stromsgodset's positive beginning to the season has meant they currently sit seventh in the table with 13 points, leaving them just four points behind Molde in the final European qualification place.
Jorgen Isnes's men have struggled when playing away from home since his arrival at the club in January 2023, taking just 23 points from a possible 60 in the 20 league matches they have played on the road since then.
Stromsgodset will take confidence from the fact they have won all of the last three meetings with Sunday's opponents with an aggregate score of 10-4 across the games.
Team News
The hosts are set to be without no fewer than four players for the upcoming match due to multiple injuries.
Jo Berget, Niklas Sandberg and Serge-Junior Ngouali are all out until at least early next month, while Sander Christiansen's return date is unknown after picking up a knock at the beginning of May.
After avoiding injuries in their previous outing against Molde, Sarpsborg are expected to name the same team that fantastically won 4-2.
The visitors are also carrying a number of injuries into this game as they are set to be without up to four players.
Ernest Boahene and Ole Enersen are out with knocks until next month, while Sondre Hanssen will have a lengthier spell on the treatment table after suffering a back injury in April that is expected to keep him out for a number of months.
Lars Christopher Vilsvik was forced off in the 86th minute of their last outing with an injury, leaving Dadi Gaye likely to replace him.
Sarpsborg 08 possible starting lineup:
Ilic; Wichne, Odegaard, Casas, Hiim; Andersen, Sher; Chrupalla, Johansen, Orjasaeter; Meister
Stromsgodset possible starting lineup:
Bratveit; Taaje, Valsvik, Dahl; Gaye, Stengel, Krasniqi, Tomasson; Farji, Andersen; Melkersen
We say: Sarpsborg 08 1-2 Stromsgodset
Sarpsborg may have bounced back with victory in their previous outing, but their start to the season has seen them particularly struggle at home with three losses from four games, and we expect that to continue with a win for the visitors here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
