Stromsgodset welcome HamKam to Marienlyst Stadion for a Norwegian Eliteserien fixture on Saturday afternoon.
While the hosts are seeking to avoid losing a fourth successive match, the visitors are hoping to win back-to-back league games for the first time since May last year.
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Match preview
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After finishing seventh in the last two Eliteserien campaigns, Stromsgodset have not made the desired start to the 2025 season, accumulating just six points from their opening eight fixtures (W2 L6).
Godset bounced back from their NM Cupen second-round loss to second-tier outfit Mjondalen by securing a 3-2 top-flight win away against Sarpsborg 08 on April 27, but they have since suffered defeat in each of their last three league matches.
Successive home losses to Kristiansund (2-1) and Bryne (2-0) were followed by a 3-2 away defeat against Sandefjord. Second-half strikes from Herman Stengel and Jonas Therkelsen set up a nervy finish for the hosts, but their fightback was ultimately in vain.
Jorgen Isnes's side currently occupy the relegation playoff position (14th) but a victory on Saturday would see them climb one place and one point above their opponents HamKam, who have also experienced a challenging start to the campaign.
Only the bottom-two clubs Haugesund (four) and KFUM (six) have scored fewer Eliteserien goals than HamKam (seven) so far this season, with Jakob Michelsen's men collecting eight points from as many matches.
The Green-Pants suffered a penalty-shootout defeat to second division side Aalesund in the fourth round of the NM Cupen just over a week ago, but they responded with a much-needed 2-1 victory at home to Molde in the top flight, with Snorre Nilsen netting what proved to be the winner seven minutes after the interval.
HamKam are yet to show signs on a consistent basis that they have what it takes to avoid another battle to avoid the drop this season after surviving by the skin of their teeth in 2024, finishing just above the bottom three only by goal difference.
Michelsen's side will back themselves to come away from Saturday's contest with a positive result, as they have not lost any of their previous four league visits to Stromsgodset (W2 D2), most recently rescuing a point in a 1-1 draw in September last year thanks to an 88th-minute equaliser from Nilsen.
Team News
Stromsgodset forwards Elias Melkersen and Eirik Ulland Andersen both remain sidelined with long-term knee injuries, while Jostein Ekeland has been in the treatment room since March with an unspecified knock.
The hosts are set to rely on in-form Marko Farji to deliver the goods in the final third; the Iraq international has made a bright star to the new campaign, contributing to 10 goals (seven goals, three assists) in as many matches across all competitions.
As for HamKam, Halvor Rodolen Opsahl remains out with a knee problem and is joined on the sidelines by Moses Mawa who could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury of his own.
Markus Johnsgard has missed the last three league games with an unspecified issue, so Gard Simenstad, Tore Andre Soras and Alwande Roaldsoy could all continue in centre-midfield as Julian Bakkeli Gonstad potentially joins Kristian Stromland Lien up front.
Stromsgodset possible starting lineup:
Bratveit; Vilsvik, Dahl, Valsvik, Tomasson; Stengel, Krasniqi, Therkelsen; Mehnert, Moller, Farji
HamKam possible starting lineup:
Sandberg; Bjanarson, Granath, Mares; Nilsen, Soras, Simenstad, Roaldsoy, Ekeroth; Gonstad, Lien
We say: Stromsgodset 1-1 HamKam
HamKam will be in higher spirits than Stromsgodset heading into this weekend's fixture following their win over Molde last time out, but we are expecting a response from the hosts and they may just do enough to come away with a share of the spoils this time around.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
