Almost five goals a game – Ranheim welcome Fredrikstad after their 5-1 hiding in Molde
Few teams in Norway play games as open as Ranheim’s. Christian Eggen Rismark’s side have scored 71 and conceded 68 in 28 OBOS-ligaen games. With fifth-placed Odd out of reach and the relegation places nine points behind them, the league has nothing left to offer, so this cup tie under the lights at EXTRA Arena is their big night of the autumn. Fredrikstad arrive three days after a 5-1 defeat at Molde, where Kristian Lonebu scored four, and three days before Rosenborg visit in the Eliteserien.
Predicted lineups: Ranheim vs Fredrikstad
No line-ups were out at the time of writing, so both XIs below are Sunday’s starting sides. Ranheim have no injuries listed. Fredrikstad are without Kennedy Okpaleke, and Sigurd Kvile is out for the season. With Rosenborg next on the schedule, Casper Røjkjær may freshen up his side, which would make an already unsettled defence less familiar still.
Ranheim Team News & Preview
Mikael Tørset Johnsen has 19 league goals and Andreas Solstrand Fossli ten, and Ranheim’s recent results show both sides of their game. They have won their last two league games 4-2 against Bryne and 3-1 at Raufoss, and before that lost 6-2 at Kongsvinger and beat Egersund 5-0. Seven of their last nine league games have had four or more goals.
They have also been tidy in this competition so far, winning 6-0 at Steinkjer and 2-0 at Levanger. Fredrikstad are a different level of opponent, but there is a personal angle too: Elias Solberg faces his former club, and Fredrikstad’s Sondre Sørløkk played 88 games for Ranheim.
What works for or against Ranheim
- 71 league goals, 2.54 per game.
- 68 league goals conceded, 2.43 per game.
- Seven of the last nine league games had four or more goals.
- Kept clean sheets in both earlier cup rounds.
Fredrikstad Team News & Preview
Fredrikstad are 11th in the Eliteserien, five points clear of the relegation play-off place. Their problem is at the top end: 29 goals in 24 league games and 28.9 expected goals, the lowest total in the division. At the back they have conceded 41, and their expected goals against comes out at 1.91 per game.
Sunday’s 5-1 at Molde started well enough, with Ola Fiabema scoring after eight minutes, before Lonebu took over. Their league games had been much tighter before that, though: three of their previous five ended 1-1. Røjkjær also has one eye on Saturday, when Rosenborg come to Fredrikstad.
What works for or against Fredrikstad
- Conceded five at Molde on Sunday and 41 in 24 league games.
- Three 1-1 draws in their last six league games.
- Lowest expected goals total in the Eliteserien (28.9).
- Rosenborg at home on Saturday.
Ranheim vs Fredrikstad Odds
Match Result
Double Chance
Handicap
Over/Under
Ranheim vs. Fredrikstad Stats Comparison
Show Recent Results
Ranheim vs. Fredrikstad Form Guide
Ranheim Form, Stats & Data
Combined, that is almost five goals per league game. The second tier is a weaker level, but Ranheim’s games against the top half of the OBOS-ligaen have been just as open, with a 5-3 home defeat by Odd and a 6-2 loss at Kongsvinger in their last nine.
Fredrikstad Form, Stats & Data
The expected goals are the main argument against this bet. Fredrikstad create little, and nobody in the squad has more than three league goals. On the other hand, 1.91 expected goals against per game in the Eliteserien suggests Ranheim’s attack will get chances, and the hosts do not need many to reach four goals between the two sides.
Ranheim vs Fredrikstad: Prediction & Betting Tip
Ranheim’s league games average almost five goals, seven of their last nine have had four or more, and they meet a Fredrikstad side that has just conceded five and has Rosenborg on Saturday. Rismark’s players have nothing to protect in the league, and a cup night against Eliteserien opposition is the one game left this autumn that really matters to them.
The strongest counter-argument is Fredrikstad’s blunt attack. Three of their last six league games finished 1-1, and they have the lowest expected goals in the Eliteserien. If they sit deep and settle for extra time, four goals may not come in 90 minutes. I still back Over 3.5 Goals at 1.98 with Winz with a 2/10 stake, and my prediction is a 3-2 win for Fredrikstad. The goals market is for regular time only.