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Start vs Valerenga: Hosts Seek Stability Amidst Defensive Frailties
Eliteserien strugglers Start host Valerenga in a clash where the home side's persistent draw record clashes with their porous defence. Valerenga, despite a mixed recent run, arrive with a superior overall record and will look to exploit Start's defensive vulnerabilities.
This fixture pits Start's ability to grind out draws at home against Valerenga's more proactive, albeit inconsistent, approach. You get the sense the home side will aim to remain compact, hoping to frustrate Valerenga and perhaps nick a goal. However, Start's defensive numbers, particularly their high average goals conceded and poor passing accuracy in their last outing, suggest they are susceptible to sustained pressure. Valerenga will likely try to play on the front foot, using their advantage in possession and shot volume to probe for openings, potentially exploiting the channels where Start has shown weakness.
Team statistics
Team Stats Comparison
Key points
- • Start have drawn 75% of their home games this season but concede an average of 1.8 goals at home.
- • Valerenga average 14.4 shots per game overall, significantly more than Start's 10.8.
- • Start's last match saw them with only 23% possession and a red card, highlighting recent struggles.
AI Prediction
Valerenga's superior overall statistics and attacking intent, coupled with Start's persistent defensive frailties, especially at home, point towards an away victory. The odds also favour the visitors. While Start are difficult to beat at home, their inability to convert draws into wins and their high concession rate makes them vulnerable. Both teams' recent scoring and conceding records suggest goals are likely at both ends.
- AIConfidencePickRecent Win% (20)
nova-lite-v1 (fr)by amazon70%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x243%O/U47%BTTS50%
deepseek-v4-pro (ja)by deepseek78%
AWAYBTTS NO2.5 OVER1x237%O/U43%BTTS27%
gemini-2.0-flash-lite-001 (ar)by google75%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x243%O/U67%BTTS73%
gemini-2.0-flash-lite-001 (es)by google70%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x247%O/U63%BTTS70%
gemini-2.0-flash-lite-001 (ru)by google70%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x243%O/U67%BTTS77%
gemini-2.5-flash-lite (en)by google65%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x243%O/U67%BTTS73%
llama-3.1-8b-instruct (it)by meta-llama70%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x250%O/U67%BTTS77%
llama-3.3-70b-instruct (pt)by meta-llama65%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x240%O/U70%BTTS70%
gpt-oss-120b:free (tr)by openai78%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x243%O/U73%BTTS77%
grok-4.3 (ko)by x-ai72%
AWAYBTTS YES2.5 OVER1x247%O/U70%BTTS67%
H2H
Team recent
Start Team recent
| Match date | H/A | VS | Score | Results | O/U 2.5 | BTTS | Cor 9.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOME | Bodo/Glimt | 1 - 4 | |||||
AWAY | Viking | 3 - 6 | |||||
HOME | Tromso | 1 - 1 | |||||
AWAY | Bodo/Glimt | 0 - 5 | |||||
AWAY | Ham-Kam | 1 - 2 | |||||
HOME | Molde | 1 - 1 | |||||
AWAY | Lillestrom | 1 - 3 | |||||
AWAY | Sarpsborg 08 FF | 1 - 1 | |||||
HOME | Aalesund | 1 - 1 | |||||
AWAY | KFUM Oslo | 0 - 2 |
Start find themselves in a precarious position, having failed to secure a single victory across their opening ten league fixtures. While their home form shows a remarkable seven draws from four games, suggesting a resilience that prevents outright defeat, they are shipping too many goals, conceding 1.8 per home outing. Even their most recent home performance saw them concede four. Their possession stats are generally low, and their overall shot volume is modest, indicating a team that struggles to impose itself offensively and remains fragile at the back.
Valerenga Team recent
| Match date | H/A | VS | Score | Results | O/U 2.5 | BTTS | Cor 9.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOME | Sarpsborg 08 FF | 3 - 2 | |||||
AWAY | Ham-Kam | 0 - 1 | |||||
HOME | KFUM Oslo | 2 - 2 | |||||
AWAY | Molde | 1 - 5 | |||||
HOME | Lillestrom | 0 - 2 | |||||
AWAY | Fredrikstad | 1 - 1 | |||||
HOME | Viking | 0 - 1 | |||||
AWAY | Rosenborg | 2 - 0 | |||||
HOME | Sandefjord | 1 - 0 |
Valerenga present a more balanced, though not entirely convincing, profile. They've managed a few wins on the season, but their away form is a concern, with two losses in their last four road games, conceding 1.8 goals per match. However, their recent form offers a glimmer of hope, with a win, draw, and loss in their last three. They tend to dominate possession and generate a higher volume of shots compared to their opponents, suggesting they possess the tools to create chances, even if their conversion rate hasn't always been clinical. Their last outing, a 3-2 victory, showcased their attacking potential.
Odds
Lineup information is currently unavailable. It will be updated 1 hour before kickoff.
