Vålerenga Fotball's difficult autumn continued with a 2-0 defeat away to Lillestrøm at Åråsen Stadium on Saturday. Ruben Gabrielsen put the hosts ahead after 25 minutes, and Thomas Lehne Olsen added a second in the sixth minute of added time to seal the home victory.
Head coach J. Moesgaard's side started brightly, pressing Lillestrøm and creating several early chances through Dennis Gjengaar and Ghayas Zahid. Goalkeeper Peder Dahlberg stood firm, however. The match turned on a precise cross from Frederik Elkaer, which found Ruben Gabrielsen free to head past Oliver Hedvall for a 1-0 Lillestrøm lead.
Vålerenga fought to turn the game around in the second half, introducing Gabriel Rajkovic and Odin Thiago Holm as early as the 58th minute to add creativity. The team generated more opportunities, with shots from Henrik Sjåtil and Rajkovic either saved or off target. Lillestrøm defended resolutely, with Elkaer receiving a yellow card for a heavy challenge.
- We had the chances to get a different result, but we are not scoring enough goals, said Vålerenga coach J. Moesgaard., The defence worked hard, but we need more efficiency in front of goal.
The final minutes turned chaotic. Vålerenga received four yellow cards, two of them in added time to Rajkovic and Ole Christian Hammerfjell Sæter. Lillestrøm then put the game to bed.
The statistics paint a stark picture. Vålerenga had 17 shots but only three on target. Lillestrøm scored with two of their seven attempts. Vålerenga also received four yellow cards to Lillestrøm's two.
The defeat extends a poor run of form. The team's last five results read LDLDL, with just two points from a possible 15. Their last victory came at the end of July. Injuries to Magnus Sjøeng and Fredrik Ambina are not helping the effort to reverse the trend.
The next opportunity to break the negative streak comes at home against Fredrikstad on Saturday, 20 September. To see how the team stands in the table after this round, visit the standings.
