Valur Reykjavík saw off Thór Akureyri 4-1 in the Urvalsdeild's Relegation Group on Saturday. The hosts took control early and never relinquished it, extending their advantage over their opponents. By then the pattern was clear from the opening exchanges.
S. Gunnarsson opened the scoring in the seventeenth minute, giving Valur the lead they would build upon. D. Gardarson doubled the advantage just ten minutes later before P. Pedersen was booked. And here's the thing — Thór responded almost immediately when G. Gudbrandsson turned his own goal against them in the fifty-second minute.
Pedersen added a second of his own in the fifty-fifth, and M. Veldman completed the scoring in the eighty-second. Substitutions followed throughout the second half, with Valur bringing on V. Ottosson and K. Vazquez together in the sixty-second minute. We had called for a home victory with 59 per cent confidence, and the result matched that assessment.
Valur dominated possession at 54 per cent and created more chances than their visitors. They registered nine shots on target compared to Thór's four, though their shooting accuracy sat at 36 per cent. The hosts made 21 key passes while the visitors managed only nine, and Valur's 60 attacks outpaced Thór's 47.
The victory keeps Valur in second place with 30 points from 23 games. Thór remain fourth with 21 points, and the three-point gap between them has not shifted. To be fair, Valur's recent form showed inconsistency before this performance.
Thór's recent run included two consecutive 1-0 victories, but they could not maintain that momentum here. Valur's record of nine wins and eleven defeats leaves them with work to do, but this result gives them breathing room.