Preview: SK Brann vs Valerenga Fotball – prediction, team news, schedule

Aiming to make it three wins in a row in their climb to the bottom of the Norwegian Eliteserien table, SK Brann will host Valerenga Fotball at Brann Stadion on Sunday.

The hosts sit in sixth place after a 2-1 win and are behind the Conference League qualifiers in midweek, while their visitors find themselves ninth but just two points short.

Game preview

SK Brann return to Eliteserien action on Sunday after a tough continental tour in midweek in hopes of continuing their climb up the division.

After last season’s fourth-placed finish, they head into the mid-season break after three consecutive defeats in May, leaving them with just 13 points from 12 games, but they now look tired under new management.

Club officials have returned to Eirik Horneland, who previously led it for more than three years between 2021 and 2024, during the break, and he has encouraged a rise in form on his return, looking for consecutive wins in the first two league games following the start of the break with a 2-1 victory at Start.

A visit to Molde followed last weekend and Bergens Stolthet won by the same margin, taking a 2-0 lead through Denzel De Roeve and Kristian Eriksen, before they met Universitatea away from home in the first leg of the second round of the Conference League and drew 2-2.

Brann also scored two in that game through Niklas Castro and Felix Myhre, and while they were disappointed with the draw, the Horneland boys managed to navigate a tough leg and extend their unbeaten run since the break, and now sit in sixth place and six in fourth place, they will look to keep up the pressure with another league win on Sunday.

Their visitors are also looking for back-to-back wins, however, with a result that will see them overtake the hosts.

Valerenga have struggled to follow up the 2025 season at the start of the new season, sitting with just eight points from their first eight games, but now find themselves poised to climb as they have added nine more to that tally in the last five attempts.

They went into the break with a 3-1 win over Kristiansund, and despite coming back with a disappointing 4-0 defeat against Tromso, the Bohemians came back in style last week.

Johannes Moesgaard’s side hosted Aelesund and ran out thrashed 6-1 at the Intility Arena, as goals from Lucas Haren and a goal from Filip Thorvaldsen gave them a 3-0 lead at the break and the latter added the second alongside Mohamed Ofkir twice in the second half.

They still sit in the bottom half due to their slow start, but now with 17 points, just two behind the hosts in sixth and three in fifth, Valerenga can significantly improve their position with a second consecutive win at the weekend.

SK Brann Norwegian Eliteserien form:

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SK Brann form (all competitions):

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Valerenga Fotball Norwegian Eliteserien form:

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Valerenga Fotball form (all competitions):

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Team News

Eirik Horneland made just one change to his SK Brann side between last weekend’s Eliteserien win over Molde and their midweek Conference League play-off, but he may have to make more calls to his squad on Sunday given the test schedule.

Sakarias Opsahl and Nana Boakye remain sidelined with long-term injuries, while key midfielder Kristian Eriksen also missed the Universitatea Cluj game after scoring in consecutive league games before the forced switch, as did fellow midfielder Jacob Lungi Sorensen.

Nowa Holm should continue to lead the line with a season-high eight goals, while Niklas Castro marks his first start since returning from injury with a goal in the Conference League playoffs.

Valerenga may be unchanged from last week’s win, with Odin Thiago Holm, Magnus Sjoeng and Ole Saeter all ruled out through injury.

Moesgaard may have to make a change in attack, however, after Mohamed Ofkir, in his third game back from a long-term injury, scored his goal from the bench.

He will compete to join Lucas Haren and Filip Thorvaldsen, who got braces last weekend, taking the former to five goals this season, although defender Henrik Bjordal and forward Mathias Grundetjern look set to keep their tally with three assists and one respectively in that game.

SK Brann may have a first order:

Dyngeland; De Roeve, Knudsen, Pedersen, Soltvedt; Myhre, Ingason, Gudmundsson; Haaland, Holm, Castro

Possible list of Valerenga Fotball:

Hedvall; Jarl, Olsen, Nasberg, Finnsson; Bjordal, Ambina, Lange, Haren; Thorvaldsen, Grundetjern

We say: SK Brann 1-1 Valerenga Fotball

SK Brann have looked a new team since the return of Eirik Horneland, but after two test matches we see them held by a Valerenga side who rebuilt their confidence with a statement win last week and enjoyed a long midweek rest.

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