Two teams eager to pick up where they left off before the summer break will square off this weekend, as Hamkam welcome Tromso IL to Briskeby Arena for an Eliteserien clash.

The hosts will be looking to extend their two-match winning streak in a bid to edge further away from the drop zone, while Gutan arrive buoyed by a run of four straight victories in the league.

Match preview

Hamkam are no strangers to life near the foot of the table, having managed to beat the drop each year since returning to the top flight in the 2022 season.

Kamma have finished between 11th and 13th in their last three campaigns and once again find themselves hovering just above danger, with 11 points from nine matches.

However, Jakob Michelsen’s side appear to be finding their rhythm at last, having registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season to put an end to a six-game barren spell.

Hamkam edged out Molde 2-1 before brushing aside Stromsgodset with a 3-0 victory in their last outing, scoring as many goals in those two matches as they managed in their previous seven combined, which shows clear improvement in attack. 

As a result, Kamma have widened the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to five points and could rise as high as eighth with a win on Sunday, depending on other results.

They will draw confidence from their recent home form, having claimed two wins from four league matches at Briskeby (D1, L1).

That said, history does not favour the hosts in this fixture, as they have failed to beat Tromso at home in each of their last seven league meetings across both the top flight and second tier, with their most recent encounter at the venue ending goalless.

Meanwhile, the visitors will arrive with wind in their sails and added belief drawn from their upturn in form, having made it four top-flight wins on the bounce with a 2-1 triumph over Valerenga Fotball before the break. 

Jorgen Vikl will be pleased with how his side have turned the corner after a dire April in which they picked up just one point from four matches and conceded 11 goals along the way.

That leaky backline has been shored up in recent weeks, with Gutan conceding only three times in their last four league games while netting eight at the other end.

Tromso’s resurgence has rekindled hopes of a return to Europe after last season’s struggles, when they finished 13th, just a year after securing third place in 2023.

Currently sitting sixth with 16 points from nine games, the Boys are just one point off fourth-placed Fredrikstad and will look to keep their league momentum going, even if they head into this tie on the back of a 1-0 friendly defeat to Swedish side Hacken.

HamKam Norwegian Eliteserien form:

HamKam form (all competitions):

Tromso IL Norwegian Eliteserien form:

Tromso IL form (all competitions):

Team News

Head coach Michelsen is in the final stretch of his tenure at the club, with reports confirming he will take charge of the Danish women's national team from August.

For Sunday’s encounter, the 48-year-old gaffer will be without left-back Anton Ekeroth, who is suspended after collecting his fourth yellow card of the season against Stromsgodset. 

Tromso also have a suspension to contend with, as central defender Vetle Skjaervik misses out due to an accumulation of bookings.

Up front, Gutan will once again look to Vegard Erlien for inspiration, with the 27-year-old leading their scoring charts in the league with five goals to his name.

HamKam possible starting lineup:

Sandberg; Granath, Luc Mares, Bjarnason; Nilsen, Simenstad, Soras, Roaldsoy, Jonsson; Mawa, Lien

Tromso IL possible starting lineup:

Haugaard; Kinteh, Guddal, Jenssen; Leo Cornic, Hjerto-Dahl, Jenssen, Edvardsson, Norheim; Romsaas, Erlien

We say: HamKam 1-2 Tromso IL

Although it is difficult to measure momentum after a summer pause, Tromso’s dominance in this fixture coupled with their renewed purpose suggests they may edge another victory at Briskeby.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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