Aalesund – Kristiansund

Between the mountains and fjords of Sunnmøre, a rather important football match will be played this weekend. Ålesund city is starving for three points, and when it is Kristiansund that comes to visit, it is most likely to be an intense match. Yes, Molde is the big brother in the region, but there is always a certain rivalry when you meet rivals from the same county. A derby is perhaps what Rekdal needs to light a spark in the player group as well, because as of today there is little indication that they are taking root at Norway's highest level. For the former Aafk-bautaen, Amund Skiri, things are going several notches better initially. The team is around the middle of the table, and has recorded a couple of nice victories. There is probably nothing that would have tasted better for Skiri than to return to Ålesund, beat Rekdal, and get on the bus up the Atlantic Road with three clean points in their luggage. We predict an interesting match at Colorline on Sunday!

Aalesund – Shouldn't a city of this size have an Eliteserien team?

They have tried for so long to become a stable player at the top level. But it is quite short-lived. They move up, ruffle feathers a bit, and then move down again. 2009 and 2011 are still written in gold in the club's history, when against all odds they ended up as cup champions both years. An absolutely insane feat considering the circumstances. But then they have not been able to build on this in retrospect. They have become a team on the rise, and as of today there are several things that indicate that the rise is going down – again.

Kjetil Rekdal is an intense figure. Passionate, takes up a lot of space, demands a lot from his surroundings, but has also achieved results on several occasions. It is a bit difficult to form an opinion about the former midfield general from the outside, but it still seems quite clear that this is the man's last real opportunity in Ålesund. You can't be relegated again, and with that you have to do something about the points. Two points from the first 15 are not enough in the long run. Can you add three points when Kristiansund comes the short way south?

A loss for Bodø/Glimt is to be expected, perhaps also against a well-performing Lillestrøm. The home loss for FFK is, however, harder to accept, and the two draws against Koffa and Start could have been more useful. It would have looked different if these last two had been won. The situation is precarious at the bottom of the table, and with that you are forced to start collecting points. Then you cannot concede two or three goals every time you step onto the mat.

Kristiansund – Skiri has succeeded

For KBK is a solid Eliteserie team. The team from Klippfiskbyen has on several occasions finished the season right behind the very best, and beyond that, they abruptly end the season around the middle of the table. A decent result with the funds they have available. Kristiansund has become a difficult place to go to pick up points, and the team is on track so far this season.

After four games played, they have lost to Bodø/Glimt and Tromsø. That's something that you probably have to live with up in Kristiansund. Especially since they started the season by putting Brann in place with 3-2, and now most recently a controlled victory against FFK 2-0. There is something exciting about this team, and it seems like the group of players is well prepared for a new season at the top level in Norwegian football. With 37-year-old Dan Ulvestad still going strong in the back ranks, the routine should be well covered.

Christian Gauseth has arrived in the office. Most people probably know this guy from his time in Mjøndalen, where he and Mads Hansen were the two most outspoken profiles in Norwegian football for a while. Gauseth has a degree in economics, and from this month he will take over as general manager of the club. The impression is that with his positive attitude and cheerful appearance he can work well together with head coach Amund Skiri, and there seems to be a positivity around the club. That kind of thing is contagious, and if it is contagious, it usually means points in the total. KBK comes to Ålesund to continue on its journey up the table.

Conclusion – As of today, KBK is the best football team

Kjetil Rekdal must have realized that between sips of his Oscar Sylte soda. KBK are stable, have a good game plan, and seem to be able to offer quick counterattacks, while also being a threat on set pieces. Aafk's strengths are a little harder to get an overview of. Rekdal has a job to do here, and it should be done quickly.

Ålesund has been made a pretty clear odds favorite this Sunday, without the undersigned fully understanding why. Yes, the home field advantage means a lot, and they had a couple of teams on the hook for a while before it slipped. But isn't KBK better equipped for these games at the moment? They are coming off a solid 2-0 win over Fredrikstad, and the feeling is that they are heading down to Ålesund knowing that there are good opportunities for more points here.

With that said, form in favor of the guests, the Tango jerseys who have not quite found their form, and an extra positive wind on Nordmøre, we land on a half-guard this Sunday. KBK can find a way to win them, and if we throw in a draw on our tip, we think we have found a nice variant. Aalesund has not won a match since March 18, when they did knock Viking out of the cup, and there are several aspects of the Sunnmøringen's game that seem somewhat fragile so far this season. We try UB on the coupon, and with that even heavier working conditions for the man who always scored from the penalty mark.

Norway at 17:00: Aalesund – Kristiansund: X2 (1.80)

Alternative game

Norway at 17:00: Aalesund – Kristiansund: Over 3.5 goals (1.88)