HamKam will be looking to steer themselves clear of the Norwegian Eliteserien relegation zone when they take on Stabaek at the Briskeby Stadion on Sunday evening.
The hosts are currently in 13th place, just one point clear of the bottom three, while the visitors are two places higher in 11th, having picked up three more points than their opponents.
Match preview
HamKam have once again been struggling this season, having finished in 13th place in the 2022 campaign, however their form has really started to pick up in recent weeks, winning their last two matches in the Eliteserien.
The first of those came against bottom-of-the-table Aalesund, with the Kamma emerging as 2-1 winners after a late winner from Halvor Opsahl, before they followed that up with a 3-2 victory away against Sarpsborg 08 last time out.
Jakob Michelsen's side are now out of the relegation zone, and they now have a fantastic opportunity to provide themselves with some much-needed breathing room, at home against a struggling side.
HamKam have a very poor recent record against Sunday's opponents, losing the last four matches between the two sides, however the most recent of those was in May 2021, as the visitors have only just been promoted back to the Eliteserien.
Indeed, Stabaek had a fantastic 2022 campaign in the second tier, achieving automatic promotion after finishing in second place, and they will probably be happy with the start they have made to life back in the Eliteserien.
The Blues are currently five points clear of the bottom three, having picked up 16 points in 14 games, however their form has started to go downhill rapidly in recent weeks, which will be a big concern for manager Lars Bohinen.
Bohinen's side have lost four and drawn two of their last six matches, most recently being defeated 1-0 at home against Viking FK, with the visitors scoring a 91st-minute winner to steal all three points.
Given that Viking are currently in second place, Bohinen can take some positives from the game, as his side did manage to put up a fight, however Stabaek have now failed to score in their last three games, which will be a real worry.
The Blues have won just one away match all season, with that coming way back in April in a surprise 3-2 victory at reigning champions Molde, most recently drawing 0-0 in a drab affair against 15th-placed Sandefjord.
Team News
HamKam's only absentee is Canadian defender Julian Dunn-Johnson, who has missed the whole season due to injury, but Michelsen otherwise has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Given that the Kamma are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, winning their last two games, it is unlikely that Michelsen makes any changes to his side, with Henrik Udahl and Paal Kirkevold set to lead the line, in a 3-5-2 system.
Stabaek do not have any injury concerns either, but Bohinen may choose to make a few changes to his side in attacking areas, given that they have failed to find the back of the net in the last three games.
Top-scorer Kasper Hogh is likely to lead the line again, having scored five league goals this season, but Herman Geelmuyden could replace Kaloyan Kostadinov at right-wing, while Fredrik Haugen could get the nod in central midfield.
HamKam possible starting lineup:
Jendal; Norheim, Sjolstad, Opsahl; Gammelby, Soras, Hernandez-Foster, Onsrud, Kongsro; Udahl, Kirkevold
Stabaek Football possible starting lineup:
Pettersson; Pedersen, Naess, Skovgaard; Pachonik, Edwards, Lucca, Walstad; Kostadinov, Krogstad, Hogh
We say: HamKam 1-0 Stabaek Football
HamKam have come on leaps and bounds in recent weeks, winning their last two games on the spin, and they should be able to defeat a newly-promoted side on home soil.
Games involving Stabaek are very rarely high-scoring affairs, with just two goals being scored in their last three games, so we expect it will be a narrow victory for the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
