Raufoss (home)
- Raufoss Fotball will kick off their 2026 OBOS-ligaen campaign on Monday with a home match against a Kongsvinger side who have retained their core from last season.
- New Raufoss boss Kasey Wehrman has introduced an attacking style of soccer with Raufoss set to play an aggressive brand of possession-based soccer that is high-tempo and aims to win the ball back quickly after losing possession.
- Rafik Zekhnini’s pace and directness will be a key component of their transition play, with Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson’s experience providing stability at the back.
- Adrian Rogulj’s sharpness up front should make them a good side in this league and if they can stay fit, Raufoss should be able to avoid the drop.
- Their winter transfers have been impressive and with a new coach always comes new ideas and energy, so I expect them to come out firing on all cylinders on Monday.
Kongsvinger (away)
- Johan Wennberg’s Kongsvinger are set to be a familiar side to the OBOS-ligaen faithful as he has remained with the club and has been able to implement the same game plan since last season.
- The strategy is a pragmatic one, with wide players generating chances from deep, whilst full-backs provide an extra body forward, and when the ball is lost, they drop deep and recover the ball quickly.
- Their defence will sit deep and try to frustrate opponents, and they will have the quality and organisation to do just that against most of the division.
- Kongsvinger’s pre-season was solid, they scored plenty and their wide players and full-backs gave them plenty of creativity in the attacking third.
- However, they were solid at the back and looked the more organised side in the games I watched.
Head-to-Head
- Kongsvinger have won four of their last five head-to-heads against Raufoss.
- The last five meetings have often been settled by narrow margins.
Key Players
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Raufoss
- Rafik Zekhnini.
- Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson.
- Adrian Rogulj.
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Kongsvinger
- Wide players and full-backs who provide creativity and overlapping runs.
- A well-organised defence that sits deep and frustrates opponents.
Betting Insights
- I think this one will see both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals, as Raufoss will try to keep the pace up, whereas Kongsvinger will try to slow the game down.
- I also think a draw is the most likely result as these two teams will be difficult to break down.
- 4.05 for a draw looks like a big price for a likely tie.
- Over 2.5 at 1.44 and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.48 look short, but these are the selections I will make for this game.
Prediction
- Expect an open, high-tempo game with both teams to score and over 2.5 goals.
- Main call: Draw (value seen at 4.05).
