Start vs Sogndal

Sparebanken Sør Arena sets the stage for a lopsided Norwegian First Division clash between Start and Sogndal. 

Start’s hopes of bettering last season’s 5th-place finish have come crashing down at the beginning of the new campaign. Nailed to the bottom of the standings after only winning once in the opening nine rounds (D3, L5), the hosts commence this matchday three points adrift of safety. There’s a silver lining. Start’s only top-flight win thus far came in their last home league outing as they squeezed past Egersund in a goal-glutted 4-3 victory, accounting for nearly 50% of their goals total (4/9). Sogndal’s upcoming visit could be just what the doctor ordered for Azar Karadas’ side, given their supreme record in this fixture, having won three of their last four H2Hs (L1). Adding to Start’s optimism, all three victories saw them score multiple goals.

In the meantime, Sogndal’s early exchanges firmly contrast their hosts’ form, with the visitors going unbeaten in eight of their opening nine league games (W4, D4). Since a narrow 1-0 loss at Bryne in late April, they’ve gone four top-flight matches without a loss (W2, D2), conceding an average of only 0.5 goals per game. Defensive resilience emerges as Sogndal’s best chance of picking up three points here, given their sub-par scoring ratio of only 0.8 goals per league travel. Based on their meager away figures, it’s barely surprising none of their five top-flight fixtures on the road this season have produced over 2.5 goals.