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Jay Thompson · 28 July 2026
Right, let's talk about this one. Because on paper, Molde at home looked like a banker. Fifth in the table, four wins from their last five home games, 13 goals scored at home in that run. And then Brann came to town and just... didn't care about any of that.
Final score: Molde 1-2 Brann. And honestly, the away side deserved it.
Brann were at it from the first whistle. Eight minutes in, they were ahead. A right foot shot and the ball was in the net. Just like that. Molde barely had time to wake up before they were chasing the game.
It got worse for the hosts before it got better. Minute 20, a Molde player was picking up a yellow card for a foul. The rhythm was off. The crowd were restless. And then on 35 minutes, Brann twisted the knife. Another right foot shot, another goal. Two-nil. Half time approaching and Molde were in serious trouble.
To compound things, Molde were also forced into a substitution at the 35 minute mark, which is never a good sign. When you are making changes before the break, something has gone wrong somewhere. Brann went in at half time with a two-goal cushion and all the momentum.
Look, Molde threw the kitchen sink at it in the second half. Two substitutions right at the restart, clearly a tactical reshuffle. The stats back up that they pushed hard. Fifteen shots in total. Twelve of those inside the box. Twenty crosses put in. Nine key passes. They had the ball in dangerous areas. They just could not convert.
The numbers actually tell a slightly cruel story for Molde. They hit the woodwork once. One big chance missed. Two shots on target all game, same as Brann. That is the brutal reality of football sometimes. You can dominate large parts of a match and still lose because the other team was more clinical when it mattered.
The Molde goalkeeper, for what it is worth, made zero saves. Think about that. Brann had two shots on target. Both went in. That is finishing. That is ruthless.
Brann, to their credit, kept their shape. Twenty-seven tackles. Eight interceptions. They made Molde work for every inch of space. Disciplined. Compact. Exactly what you need when you are protecting a lead away from home.
The goal Molde did get came late. 88th minute. A left foot shot. Too little, too late, but the connection was made, and at least the home fans had something to shout about before the final whistle. Just not enough.
Here is the thing that jumps out at me. Brann had 53 per cent possession. They were not sitting back and parking. They were actually controlling the game through the ball. Molde had more shots, more crosses, more dribble attempts, but Brann had the ball more. That is a confident away performance, not a backs-to-the-wall job.
Brann also completed 490 successful passes to Molde's 417. Both sides had the same pass accuracy at 84 per cent, but Brann were simply moving the ball more effectively and protecting it better. Ninety-one ball safe actions compared to Molde's 70. They looked after possession like it was precious.
And those four yellow cards for Molde compared to one for Brann? That tells you Molde were chasing. Frustrated. Committing fouls because they could not get the ball back cleanly. When a home side picks up four bookings, they are not in control. Simple as that.
Before this game even kicked off, Molde had a proper injury list to deal with. Three long-term absentees and one minor injury on top of that. That is a significant chunk of your squad unavailable. Whether those absences directly cost them here is hard to say with certainty, but you cannot keep losing players and expect it to have no effect on cohesion and depth. Look at the fixtures ahead and this could become a real problem if the treatment room does not start emptying out soon.
Brann were not without their own injury issues either, with two long-term absentees of their own, but they clearly had enough quality available to come here and get the job done.
Molde sit fifth going into this, with 23 points from 14 games. A home loss hurts. Their home form had been genuinely impressive, four wins from five before today, but that momentum slope was already pointing slightly downward before this result. Now they have a loss at home to process and a gap to the top four to think about.
Brann are eighth with 19 points from 15 games. This win is massive for them. Six wins from 15 is a decent return but inconsistency has been the story of their season. A win away at a top five side? That is the kind of result that can shift the vibe around a club. Genuinely.
Honest assessment? Brann were better when it mattered. Two goals from two shots on target. Molde had fifteen shots and scored one. In football, that is usually the whole story right there.
Molde fans will point to the woodwork, to the big chance missed, to the injury list. And fair enough, all of those things are real. But Brann came here, took their chances, kept their shape, and went home with three points. You heard it here first: do not sleep on Brann this second half of the season. That was a proper away performance.
