In the Eliteserien game on 2 August 2026, Molde beat Sarpsborg 08 3:3. Match numbers: shots on target 9:4, corners 5:4.
Match report
Molde and Sarpsborg 08 played out a 3-3 draw in the Eliteserien regular season round sixteen on 2 August. The result leaves both sides where they were before kick-off, with Molde holding fourth and Sarpsborg ninth in the table. To be fair, neither side looked like they were going to settle for less than something from this encounter.
Granaas opened the scoring for Molde in the twenty-second minute, and Karlsbakk levelled for Sarpsborg before the half-hour mark. The visitors took a surprise lead through Nibe fifty-two minutes in, only for Hestad to equalise six minutes later. Daga restored parity for the hosts in the sixtieth minute before the drama turned.
And here's the thing about that last minute. Posiadala's own goal in the ninetieth minute gave Molde something to hold onto, and it was enough. By then both sides had already made their changes, with Williams and Kone-Doherty coming on for Molde and Niyukuri and Linnes replacing pieces for Sarpsborg.
Molde dominated possession at sixty-three per cent and pushed 95 attacks, but Sarpsborg kept knocking on the door with four shots on target and six saves from their keeper. Molde landed nine shots on target against five off, yet the visitors were second to nothing in midfield, making 209 passes in opposition territory compared to the hosts' 404 overall. The statistics tell you about control, not about who got their reward.
The draw keeps Molde three points clear of fifth place and Sarpsborg four behind the top half. Both teams have played nineteen matches, and this result extends a run where neither side has found a way to pull away from their rivals. It was a match decided by moments, not by the minutes in between.
Prepared from match data
Key numbers
Possession, %63–37
Shots on target9–4
Shots off target5–7
Big chances2–1
HT⚽22' S. Granaas — Goal⚽33' D. Karlsbakk — Goal🟨40' E. Hestad — Yellow card⚽52' A. Nibe — Goal⚽56' E. Hestad — Goal⚽60' D. Daga — Goal⇄63' N. Williams — Substitution⇄64' T. Kone-Doherty — Substitution⇄72' C. Niyukuri — Substitution⇄74' M. Linnes — Substitution🟨74' S. Christiansen — Yellow card⇄81' S. Sorli — Substitution⇄87' E. Hestad — Substitution⚽90' A. Posiadala — Own goal
L16 Aug · Home Sandefjord · 1:2W22 Aug · Away Sparta Sarpsborg · 2:0D30 Aug · Away Tromsø IL · 0:0D6 Sep · Home Vålerenga · 2:2D13 Sep · Away Fredrikstad · 1:1L18 Sep · Home KFUM Oslo · 1:3
