HamKam stuns Viking with opening-day Eliteserien victory

HamKam launched their 2026 Eliteserien campaign in style, defeating reigning champions Viking 2–1 at Briskeby on Saturday to end the visitors’ 13-match unbeaten league run.

Two quickfire goals before half-time from Henrik Udahl and Loris Mettler secured the win for the hosts, despite Gianni Stensness pulling one back for Viking in first-half stoppage time. The defeat marked Viking’s first in the league since a 4–2 loss to Bodø/Glimt on 19 July 2025—a streak of 219 days without defeat.

HamKam manager Thomas Myhre called the result “a perfect start,” though he cautioned that the season remains long. “This is just the first of 30 rounds,” he told NRK. The victory builds early momentum for a side that finished 11th in the 2025 campaign.

Viking left “deeply disappointed”

Viking manager Morten Jensen offered a blunt assessment of his team’s performance, describing it as “far below standard in intensity, presence, and attacking play.” Captain Zlatko Tripić echoed the frustration, admitting Viking “never gained control” of the match.

“We were very poor,” Tripić told NRK. “HamKam were much better in large parts of the game. It’s extremely disappointing to start with zero points.”

Udahl, who scored the opener, praised the collective effort. “This was a team victory,” he said. “A lot of people may have doubted our early fixtures, so beating the defending champions right away is a real confidence boost for us.”

Police intervene before kickoff

Before the match, police detained an intoxicated supporter in central Hamar after the man, described as being in his late teens, acted aggressively near the stadium. He was arrested around 15:35, roughly 30 minutes before kickoff.

Source: NRK