Preview: SK Brann vs Valerenga Fotball - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to make it three straight wins in their climb towards the top end of the Norwegian Eliteserien table, SK Brann will welcome Valerenga Fotball to Brann Stadion on Sunday.

The hosts sit sixth after a pair of 2-1 wins and are on the back of a midweek Conference League qualifying game, while their visitors find themselves ninth but just two points worse off.

Match preview

SK Brann return to Eliteserien action on Sunday on the back of a tough continental midweek outing with the hopes of continuing a climb up the division.

After a fourth-placed finish last time around, they headed into the mid-season break on the back of three consecutive defeats in May, leaving them on just 13 points from 12 matches, but they now appear to have turned a corner under new management.

The club hierarchy turned back to Eirik Horneland, who previously led them for over three years between 2021 and 2024, during the break, and he has inspired an upturn in form on his return, having overseen back-to-back victories in their first two league games following the break beginning with a 2-1 victory over Start.

A visit to Molde then followed last weekend and the Bergens Stolthet won by the same scoreline, having led 2-0 at the interval through Denzel De Roeve and Kristian Eriksen, before they most recently met Universitatea away from home in the first leg of their Conference League second-qualifying-round tie and came away on level terms following a 2-2 draw.

Brann again led by two in that game through Niklas Castro and Felix Myhre, and while they were left disappointed in a draw, Horneland's men were able to navigate a tricky away leg and extend an unbeaten streak since the break, and now sitting sixth and six points off fourth spot, they will look to continue ramping up the pressure with another league win on Sunday.

Their visitors are also seeking back-to-back victories, though, with a result that would see them leapfrog the hosts.

Valerenga struggled to follow up a positive 2025 term early in the new season, sitting on just eight points from their first eight games, but they now find themselves poised to climb having added nine more to that tally in the last five attempts.

They headed into the break with a 3-1 win over Kristiansund, and despite returning with a disappointing 4-0 beating away at Tromso, the Bohemene bounced back in style last time out.

Johannes Moesgaard's side hosted Aelesund and dished out a 6-1 beating at the Intility Arena, as Lucas Haren's brace and Filip Thorvaldsen's goal had them 3-0 up at the break and the latter added a second alongside a Mohamed Ofkir double in the second half.

Still sitting in the bottom half due to their slow start, but now on 17 points, just two behind the sixth-placed hosts and three off fifth spot, Valerenga can greatly improve their position with a second consecutive win at the weekend.

SK Brann Norwegian Eliteserien form:

W L L L W W

SK Brann form (all competitions):

L W L W W D

Valerenga Fotball Norwegian Eliteserien form:

L W L W L W

Valerenga Fotball form (all competitions):

W D L W L W

Team News

Eirik Horneland only made one change to his SK Brann team between last weekend's Eliteserien win over Molde and their midweek Conference League qualifier, but he may have to call on his squad more on Sunday given the testing schedule.

Sakarias Opsahl and Nana Boakye remain sidelined by long-term injuries, while key midfielder Kristian Eriksen also missed the Universitatea Cluj game after scoring in consecutive league outings beforehand in what was the only enforced change, as did fellow midfielder Jacob Lungi Sorensen.

Noah Holm should continue to lead the line having scored a team-high tally of eight goals this season, while Niklas Castro marked his first start since returning from injury with a goal in the Conference League qualifier.

Valerenga could be unchanged from last week's resounding win, with Odin Thiago Holm, Magnus Sjoeng and Ole Saeter ruled out by injuries.

Moesgaard may have to make an alteration in attack, though, after Mohamed Ofkir, in his third game back from a long-term injury, scored a brace in his cameo off the bench.

He will compete to join Lucas Haren and Filip Thorvaldsen, who also got braces last weekend, taking the former's tally to five goals for the season, although winger Henrik Bjordal and striker Mathias Grundetjern have claims to keep their spots having recorded three and one assists respectively in that game.

SK Brann possible starting lineup:

Dyngeland; De Roeve, Knudsen, Pedersen, Soltvedt; Myhre, Ingason, Gudmundsson; Haaland, Holm, Castro

Valerenga Fotball possible starting lineup:

Hedvall; Jarl, Olsen, Nasberg, Finnsson; Bjordal, Ambina, Lange, Haren; Thorvaldsen, Grundetjern

We say: SK Brann 1-1 Valerenga Fotball

SK Brann have looked a new team since Eirik Horneland's return, but on the back of two testing matches we see them being held by a Valerenga team who rebuilt confidence with a statement win last time out and enjoyed a longer midweek rest.

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