Stabaek Football will be looking to end a winless run of seven games in the Norwegian Eliteserien when they host Molde at the Nadderud Stadion.
The visitors, meanwhile, have won their last three matches in the league and currently sit in fourth place.
Match preview
© Reuters
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.
De Blaa currently sit in 12th place, having picked up 16 points from 15 matches, and although they remain five points clear of the bottom three, they have not tasted victory in the league since their 2-1 win over Valerenga Fotball on May 29.
Stabaek's form will be a concern for manager Lars Bohinen, whose side have lost four and drawn two of their last six, most recently being defeated 3-2 away from home at HamKam, with the hosts scoring a 94th-minute winner through Jens Martin Gammelby to secure all three points.
Despite the defeat, Bohinen can take some positives from the game, as his side managed to put up a fight and ended a run of three games without scoring a goal.
The Blues have won three of their eight matches in front of their own fans this season, amassing 12 points, although they face a tough test against a Molde side that are firing on all cylinders domestically.
Meanwhile, for Molde, they continued their Champions League campaign in midweek, suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their qualifying tie against HJK Helsinki courtesy of a Topi Keskinen strike.
Erling Moe will be disappointed with that result as his side were in excellent form heading into the game, winning their four previous matches across all competitions.
Last time out in the league, Molde had far too much quality for Sarpsborg 08 as they claimed an emphatic 5-1 victory when the sides went face to face at the Aker Stadion last Saturday.
As a result, Molde moved up to fourth in the standings, one point adrift of the final European spot and three points behind Viking FK in second place. However, challenging for the title this term looks to be a long shot, as Molde currently sit 12 points adrift of the league leaders, Bodo/Glimt.
MFK have been efficient at both ends of the pitch so far this campaign, scoring the second-highest amount of goals in the league (38), while only four teams have conceded fewer (19).
Team News
Stabaek do not have any injury concerns either, so Bohinen may choose to stick with the side that were so close to earning a crucial three points last weekend.
Top-scorer Kasper Hogh is likely to lead the line again, having scored five league goals this season, while Fredrik Krogstad looks set to start in the engine room alongside Curtis Edwards.
As for the visitors, they are still without the services of long-term injury absentee Martin Ellingson, who remains sidelined with a knee problem.
Moe could be tempted to rotate his side after their European commitments, which could see the likes of Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Veton Berisha given a chance in the starting XI.
Stabaek Football possible starting lineup:
Pettersson; Pedersen, Naess, Skovgaard; Pachonik, Edwards, Krogstad, Lucca, Walstad; Bakenga, Hogh
Molde possible starting lineup:
Karlstrom; Haugan, Bjornbak, Hagelskjaer; Linnes, Eikrem, Mannsverk, Breivik, Haugen; Kitolano, Berisha
We say: Stabaek Football 0-2 Molde
Stabaek's form has recently taken a turn for the worst, so we think they will have their work cut out against a Molde side that are striving for their fourth consecutive victory in the league.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
