Brann come back twice to draw Stabæk

 Due to suspensions for Petter Vaagan Moen and Eirik Bakke after the previous match, Brann's head coach Rune Skarsfjord was forced to make changes to the squad that drew against Haugesund last round. David Nielsen started as the lone striker, and Diego Guastavino was back in the lineup as a left wing.

Brann started both halves poorly and fell low into their own half before pressuring Stabæk. This was not the gamleplan according to Skarsfjord, and hence Stabæk were handed the initiative in the match. Halfway through the first half Stabæk took a corner kick from the right. For most of the game the man-marking worked for Brann's defence, but on the corner kick Mikkel Diskerud was left alone to head in the leading goal. But before halftime Brann took advantage of an opportunity after another Stabæk-corner. With Bjarni Olafur Eiriksson on the sideline changing his shoes, Opdal snapped the ball from the air and found Erik Huseklepp upfield with a perfect throw. Erik Huseklepp found Jan Gunnar Solli on the right of the goal and the latter fired the ball inside the far post to make it 1-1 at halftime.

After halftime Brann again started poorly, letting the visiting side dominate possession and the midfield. Espen Hoff took advantage with a cross from the left, and eventually the ball found Veigar Pall Gunnarsson who was lucky to score with a weak finish from short distance.

But once again Brann were able to muster the effort to come back. Diego Guastavino flicked the ball through to Erik Huseklepp who was crossing from the left to the right of Stabæk's goal. Stabæk-goalkeeper followed the pass, but Erik Huseklepp saw his mistake in the corner of his eye, and sent the ball inside the far post with his first touch of the ball.

Both sides kept on attacking the last half an hour of the game, and Diego Guastavino came close to winning the match with a free kick that went inches outside the left corner of Stabæk's goal. The match was physical but never ugly, and left both sides out of energy as the referee allowed two minutes of injury time. Brann drew Stabæk at home 2-2, and is undefeated in the last four games. 

Click "Se Video" in the picture frame above to see the match higlights!

MATCH FACTS:
Brann Stadion, 13 504 attendance
Brann - Stabæk 2-2 (1-1)
Goals: 0-1 Mikkel Diskerud (24.), 1-1 Jan Gunnar Solli (37.), 1-2 Veigar Pall Gunnarsson (49.), 2-2 Erik Huseklepp (59.).
Yellow cards: Diego Guastavino, David Nielsen, Brann. Veigar Pall Gunnarsson, Stabæk.
Red cards: -
Referee: Roy Helge Olsen

Brann (4-2-3-1): Håkon Opdal - Birkir Már Sævarsson, Olafur Örn Bjarnason, Yaw Ihle Amankwah, Hassan El Fakiri - Jan Gunnar Solli, Rodolph Austin - Erik Huseklepp, Erik Mjelde, Diego Guastavino - David Nielsen (Cato Hansen from 86.).

Stabæk (4-4-2: Iven Austbø - Vegar Eggen Hedenstad, Jon Inge Høiland, Bjarni Olafur Eiriksson, Tom Stenvoll - Diogo da Costa (Jørgen Skjelvik from 67.), Mikkel Diskerud, Henning Hauger, Espen Hoff - Jan Banan Tømmernes, Veigar Pall Gunnarsson (Palmi Rafn Palmason from 78.).