IK Start welcome Vaalerenga at Sparebanken Soer Arena, Kristiansand on Monday, May 25 at 2:30 PM in a Eliteserien fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 1 point split them in the table.

IK Start come into this fixture out of form (0W 2L recently). Vaalerenga, meanwhile, arrive struggling badly (1W 3L in last 5) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks.

Despite playing at home, IK Start face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Vaalerenga have won 7 of 10 encounters, with 2 draws. Their last encounter ended in a 1–1 draw. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.4 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives IK Start a slight edge, but Vaalerenga are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.