Opposition analysis: Ice and fire in Bergen
On Wednesday 23 July our Red Bulls will be in UEFA Champions League qualifying action in Bergen – the city of rain! The second-biggest city in Norway is also famed for its stunning hilly landscape and one of Europe's biggest ports - just don't forget an umbrella. In addition to its colourful Bryggen wooden houses and fish market also leads Europe when it comes to the frequency of rain – with around 200 rainy days per year.
272,000 citizens in Bergen
The charges of Freyr Alexandersson will have no problem with the weather or with playing a match in the middle of their season - and it isn't just their name (Brann being Norwegian for fire) that is intimidating. The Reds are currently in second around halfway through the Norwegian Eliteserien season. The Icelandic coach mostly sets his side up in a 4-3-3 formation, in which they attack quickly and gladly press high. Bergen will be without their top scorer Aune Heggebö, however, after he moved to West Bromwich Albion in the English Championship. Bard Finne is another Norwegian goal threat our side need to keep an eye on. Youngster Markus Haaland is no relation to our former striker, Erling Haaland.
24.90 Million Euro market value of SK Brann
The history of Sportsklubben Brann is a very successful one. Three Norwegian league titles are to their name (most recently in 2007), and they won the Norwegian cup for the seventh time in 2022. There is one blot on their record, however, in that they are yet to qualify for the main part of a modern UEFA competition. In 2007/08 they did make the last 32 of the UEFA Cup, while in the 1996/97 European Cup Winners' Cup they were knocked out by Liverpool in the quarter-finals. Starting in the UEFA Champions League's second qualifying round gives the side captained by Felix Horn Myhre a good chance of returning to the European stage – although we would love to end their bid to make the Champions League.
The Norwegians can definitely count on their fans in the home tie as their Arena is set to be a sell-out - as it often is for league matches. We are to play in the Brann stadium, which opened in 1918 and was renovated most recently in 2019. It has space for close to 17,000 fans, as well as providing housing for 288 students. That came about as, in order to receive funding for the last update, the club promised to build homes in the stadium, which have been sold on to Bergen's student organisations. Just watch the small print if that sounds like a dream, as common areas including its table tennis area have limited access on matchdays, and there is no view of the pitch!
You will have a view for certain though if you tune in to ServusTV or ServusTV On, where you can follow the first leg for free on TV or live stream. Live text updates will also be provided on our website, with free highlights to follow shortly after the final whistle. For the second leg a week later on Wednesday 30 July (20:45 CEST), we will need your support at the Red Bull Arena. Tickets are already on open sale!
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