- Viking Stavanger are clear favorites at 1.65 for Sunday’s Eliteserien fixture against outsider Fredrikstad FK, who are 4.96 to take the points, with the draw 4.19.
- Viking have won four of their last five Eliteserien fixtures, including a 3-0 home win over HamKam and a 3-1 away win at Bryne.
- Fredrikstad are unbeaten in their last five league matches, winning three and drawing two, to cement fifth place in the Eliteserien with a top-half finish assured.
Tactical confrontation will be press vs counter
Viking will make a giant leap towards winning the Eliteserien title if they can take all three points in the Norwegian championship this Sunday against Fredrikstad FK.
With just two rounds remaining, Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen’s co-head coach partnership have Viking top of the league on 65 points after 28 matches with a one-point advantage on the chasing pack.
Aarsheim and Jensen have seamlessly combined a free-scoring attack with the necessary discipline and structure to maintain momentum in the title race. Viking play a 4-3-3 system, which allows them to overload the wings and press with numbers, but they are also a well-organised and aggressive team when out of possession. Midfielders Kristoffer Askildsen and Joe Bell have both scored and created important goals in recent weeks and bring Viking’s tempo up a level, while Peter Christiansen is the club’s main goal threat and proven talisman.
Fredrikstad are a more pragmatic side, preferring to sit in a compact block and allow their opponents to press their own game plan upon them. Andreas Hagen has brought structure and resilience to the team this season, making them tough to crack and dangerous on set pieces, with Oskar Oehlenschlaeger to spearhead the attack. For an in-depth look at the upcoming game, see our Fredrikstad FK vs Viking Stavanger preview.
Viking have Viking the edge in recent H2H matches
Viking have the edge in the recent head-to-head record, winning three of the last four in all competitions against Fredrikstad, but many recent meetings have been close contests or drawn. Our Fredrikstad FK vs Viking Stavanger prediction is that Fredrikstad are difficult to break down and could make it tough for Viking to get more than one goal on the day.
A Viking win would be a giant step towards the championship and they should have the quality to take all the points in this clash, but Fredrikstad are on a five-game unbeaten run of their own and will want to spoil the party and extend their run at Nye Fredrikstad Stadion. Both Teams To Score looks overpriced at 1.56, with both sides capable of scoring and both needing to be in the game to do so.
The cool, damp conditions and hybrid surface may favour the more physical side on the day and set piece situations could be pivotal. The Fredrikstad FK vs Viking Stavanger prediction also notes Viking will be without the services of Nick D’Agostino because of injury, but Veton Berisha returns to contention after a concussion. Fredrikstad have no such concerns and will be eager to attack.
Visitors to edge a close encounter
Fredrikstad have no talisman as such, but many of their attacking players have scored in the past few weeks, so they are less predictable than a team that relies on one or two players. Leonard Owusu and Sondre Sørløkk have each hit the net in recent matches, the latter adding a bit of flair and the former possessing the finishing touch.
This Fredrikstad FK vs Viking Stavanger betting tips section highlights Viking as the better team in form, with greater attacking depth, more to play for and a real desire to stay at the top of the table. Therefore, the Fredrikstad FK vs Viking Stavanger prediction is that we will take them to just edge what should be a close and competitive encounter.
