In a match that could affect both the race for Europe and the relegation battle in the Eliteserien, promoted club Bryne are set to host Sandefjord at Bryne Stadion on Sunday.
Jaerens Superlag will be looking to earn a third consecutive top-flight victory, while Guttane will be hoping to make it five wins from six league games this weekend.
Match preview
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Kevin Knappen's Bryne were promoted to the Eliteserien after finishing second in the 2024 Norwegian First Division, and with three wins to go with their five losses this term, they have performed commendably so far.
On Saturday, Jaerens Superlag emerged as 4-3 victors in a dramatic seven-goal clash against fourth-placed Fredrikstad, though the manager will be disappointed with the way that his team initially surrendered the two-goal lead that they earned in the opening 15 minutes, despite their eventual triumph.
Those three points took Knappen's side to a total of nine and saw them climb out of the relegation zone, leapfrogging both Stromsgodset and HamKam to rise up to 12th place.
As they aim to distance themselves from the threat of demotion, Sunday's hosts could draw confidence from winning two of their four home league games this term, but having failed to score in three of their last six on their own turf, they could be stifled by their high-calibre opposition.
If Bryne can earn an impressive fourth top-flight victory of the campaign, then they could reach 10th and overtake last season's First Division champions, Valerenga, though defeat may see them fall into the relegation playoff spot.
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Meanwhile, Andreas Tegstrom's Sandefjord have been in fine form over the past month, and with four wins from their last five Eliteserien games, they will be confident of taking maximum points this weekend.
Most recently, Guttane responded to their 3-1 defeat on the road to top-of-the-table Viking FK by beating Stromsgodset 3-2 last Sunday, but the boss will be keen to stamp out the lapses of concentration that saw them concede twice to their 14th-placed opponents.
Regardless, that triumph brought Tegstrom's men to 15 points, a tally that moved them up to fifth ahead of Bodo/Glimt, Kristiansund and Sarpsborg 08 and left them just one behind Fredrikstad, who occupy the division's spot for entry into the Conference League qualifiers.
With the goal of reaching the European places, fans of Sunday's visitors may be worried by their travelling record that features just one win to go with their three losses in 2025, and after seeing their team lose back-to-back games on the road prior to their trip to Bryne, any concerns would be understandable.
That being said, three points this weekend could put Sandefjord firmly in the top four, but a third consecutive away defeat would allow their rivals to drop them down to ninth in a worst-case scenario.
Team News
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Bryne will welcome Sondre Norheim back into the squad this weekend after he served a suspension against Fredrikstad, though Axel Kryger and Jens Berland Husebo should start at the heart of Knappen's defence.
On the other hand, right-back Jon-Helge Tveita will miss out as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, so expect to see Luis Gorlich and Lass Qvigstad line up at full-back.
Elsewhere, centre-back Jacob Haahr, who has been absent since May 11, and right-winger Remi Andre Svindland, who has yet to feature in 2025, are both doubts for this clash.
As for Sandefjord, they will be missing striker Stefan Igni Sigurdarson after he was sent off against Viking, and Darrell Kamdem Tibell should start up top on Sunday.
In the backline, centre-backs Zinedin Smajlovic and Stian Kristiansen will be keen to make up for their team's defensive shortcomings last time out, and the duo should be protecting Elia Hadaya between the sticks.
Bryne possible starting lineup:
De Boer; Gorlich, Kryger, Husebo, Qvigstad; Saunes, Sodal, Strunck, Scriven; Bojadzic, Moreira
Sandefjord possible starting lineup:
Hadaya; Pedersen, Smajlovic, Kristiansen, Cheng; Ottosson, Mork; Patoulidis, Melchior, Dunsby; Tibell
We say: Bryne 2-1 Sandefjord
Bryne have been inconsistent offensively this term, but considering that Sandefjord conceded two against a club in the bottom three last time out, the hosts could find some joy this weekend.
Additionally, Guttane have been poor on the road, and they could walk away empty-handed on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
