Home - Egersund
- The hosts have won three and lost one of their opening four games to lie in the top half of the table.
- Egersund play a bold, high-pressing game with plenty of direct play to either side of a central target man.
- They win the ball high up and transition quickly to attack, while wide players feed the ball to their target-man and central striker.
- Marius Kjørvik Johansen, recently promoted from assistant, has established a compact shape and high energy pressing game that has seen them build from the back with solid defensive displays.
- Isak Jönsson is an astute leader of their defence and has helped secure recent clean sheets.
Away - Raufoss
- Raufoss play a more traditional, direct style of soccer that relies on maintaining a solid shape and hitting their opponents on the break.
- Kasey Wehrman is still finding his best team and has yet to get the sort of performances that he will want from his new signings, who have taken time to gel with his approach.
- Saadiq Elmi, who can play in defence and attack, offers Wehrman the flexibility of a wide player that can cover at the back, while Rafik Zekhnini is the main creative outlet for the White Cities team.
- However, Raufoss are not used to the pace of Egersund’s game and they have been caught out by the transition from defense to attack in each of their previous two games - a 5-1 home defeat to Ranheim and a 3-1 loss at the hands of Kongsvinger.
- Raufoss are without a win in four (D1, L3).
Head-to-Head
- Egersund have gained seven points from their last three league matches against Raufoss.
- Egersund beat Raufoss 4-0 at home in October of last season.
Key Players
- Egersund’s excellent start to the season is probably the result of an excellent off-season, which saw the club add August Ljungberg and Scott Vatne to their midfield.
- Both players have brought a tempo to the team and have been able to help them transition quickly from defense to attack, allowing Oscar Kapskarmo, who scored twice in their 4-0 win over Raufoss at the end of last term, to be their main striker.
- Saadiq Elmi, who can play in defence and attack, offers Wehrman the flexibility of a wide player that can cover at the back, while Rafik Zekhnini is the main creative outlet for the White Cities team.
- Rafik Zekhnini brings a level of pace and quality from his previous experience of playing at a higher level.
Betting Insights
Egersund are a good bet to win here at 1.57 while Raufoss are a big 4.89 and the draw sits at 4.3 .
Prediction
2-1 home win is predicted as Raufoss are likely to be better organised here than they have been in their opening four games, but the cool and overcast weather at XL-BYGG Sørvest Arena should help Egersund’s aggressive game plan and allow them to impose their tempo on the game.
