Sarpsborg 08 FF face Aalesund at home in the Eliteserien on Sunday 25 October. The match at Sarpsborg Stadion kicks off at 17:00 and is a chance for the hosts to reverse a negative trend after two consecutive defeats.
The sides met just two weeks ago, with Sarpsborg 08 winning 4-2 away at Aalesund. That victory was one of few bright spots in a difficult autumn period. Sarpsborg currently sit tenth in the standings with 28 points from 23 games. They have lost four of their last five matches, including a 0-3 defeat to Rosenborg on Wednesday.
Sarpsborg's squad
In the most recent match against Rosenborg, Stefan Billborn named a starting eleven that included Lars Jendal Øy in goal and a centre-back pairing of Bjørn Inge Utvik and Rosted. Sørli and Christiansen were key in midfield, while the attack was led by D. Karlsbakk, who is the team's top scorer this season with seven goals.
Aalesund, who are in 14th place, also come into the match off a loss. They were defeated 2-4 by Sarpsborg 08 recently and are likely to make adjustments. Their last starting lineup featured goalkeeper Podlech and striker Reed.
For Sarpsborg 08, this is about rediscovering the attacking potency they showed in the previous meeting with Aalesund. With a goal difference of minus six after scoring 28 and conceding 34, a solid defensive performance is equally important. The win against Aalesund on 11 October proves they can perform against this opponent. Another victory on Sunday could provide a key boost ahead of the final matches of the season. The next game on the fixtures list is this home encounter.
