Preview
Right, so we've got Valerenga hosting Brann in the Eliteserien on 18 October, and let me tell you, the form books are singing a pretty clear tune here. No braai needed to figure out who's got the edge — the last few weeks have done the talking.
Brann walk into this with the momentum. Their last five games have produced three wins, no draws and two losses — 1.8 points per game — while Valerenga have managed just one win, two draws and two losses in the same stretch at 1.0 points per game. Pull the window back to ten games and the gap widens: Brann have won five, drawn one and lost four (1.6 ppg), whereas Valerenga have won two, drawn three and lost five (0.9 ppg). Brann won their last game, a 2–1 home victory over Lincoln Red Imps FC in the Europa Conference League on 15 October, while Valerenga lost 1–2 at KFUM Oslo on 12 October.
Now, the counter-argument is Valerenga's home record. Over their last 20 home games, they've won 10, drawn 4 and lost 6, scoring 2.35 per game. That's a solid base, and it's the main reason the market has them as slight favourites at 2.52. Brann's away record over 20 games is 8 wins, 6 draws and 6 losses at 1.5 points per game. So on the raw home/away split, Valerenga's numbers at home look a touch better. But the recent form tells a different story, and I always trust what's happening in the last few weeks over a long aggregate.
The head-to-head is thin on recent meetings. The only game within the last 12 months was on 26 July at Brann's ground, where Valerenga pulled off a 3–2 away win. Before that, the older meetings are historical — Brann won all three older meetings at their ground (3–2, 2–1, 3–0) and Valerenga lost the one older meeting at their own ground (2–4). So the H2H doesn't give us a strong edge either way for this venue.
What I do notice is that both teams score. Valerenga's home games have seen both teams score in 14 of 20, and Brann's away games in 16 of 20. In their last five, both sides have scored in four of five games. The over 2.5 line is hit in 15 of 20 at Valerenga's ground and 16 of 20 for Brann away. So this is a match where goals are likely to flow, but the question is who's on the right end of the scoreline.
Brann's away defence is the edge here. They concede 1.45 per game on the road, while Valerenga concede 1.7 at home. Brann have failed to score in only 2 of 20 away games, while Valerenga have gone blank in 3 of 20 at home. Combined with Brann's superior recent form, I'm comfortable backing the visitors.
Key Points:
- Brann's last 10 games: 5W 1D 4L (1.6 ppg) vs Valerenga's 2W 3D 5L (0.9 ppg)
- Brann won their last game (2–1 at home on 15 October); Valerenga lost theirs (1–2 away on 12 October)
- Valerenga's home record is 10W 4D 6L in 20 games, but recent form is poor
- Both teams score regularly: BTTS yes in 14/20 at Valerenga home and 16/20 for Brann away
- The only recent H2H (26 July) was a 3–2 Valerenga win at Brann's ground
My pick: Brann away win at 2.60.
