Kristiansund BK
- Kristiansund sit 15th on 12 points after 15 games in Eliteserien 2026, Molde are 5th on 24 points after the same amount of games.
- Kristiansund boss Amund Skiri has been in charge since 26 August 2023 and has set up his team as a compact 4-3-3 unit that attacks in transition and looks to overload the wide areas.
- The pressing has become a little more selective this term as Skiri is wary of leaving gaps when his side's press line is broken, but this is not a system that will hold firm for long.
- Kristiansund have conceded 1.43 goals per game at home in Eliteserien 2026, shipping 10 in total, so the backline has been under pressure.
Molde FK
- Molde lost 1-2 at home in Eliteserien 2026, so there is a bit of a hoodoo attached to this away trip and the head-to-head certainly favours Kristiansund (W3, D1, L1) across the last five meetings.
- Tjelmeland took over Molde on 24 May 2026 and his structured 4-2-3-1 system is starting to get the most out of the squad.
- Tjelmeland's team aren't frantic in build-up, preferring to play through the centre of the pitch in a controlled manner, but they are clinical in transition when they are able to release their creative number-10 into the open field to dictate the final ball.
Key Players
Emil Breivik is the standout playmaker in the Molde ranks right now with four assists in his last five appearances .
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers rate Molde FK at 1.75, Kristiansund BK at 4.1 and the draw at 3.9 ahead of this Eliteserien 2026 derby.
- Molde's form is mixed, but they are the favourite and a solid 5th in the table, although the derby factor and the hosts' H2H superiority will ensure this is anything but a sure thing.
- Molde have scored 1.43 and conceded 1.86 per away game in this campaign - a decent signs-of-life-at-the-back, leaky-away profile.
Prediction
Kristiansund's form is poor, but their recent results are mixed, so we're going to back the visitors to keep the pace and win, or at least avoid defeat in what could be a pretty tense game of chances at both ends.
