Can the Mozart city team survive the Norwegian cauldron?
Parallel to the Champions League, the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League also kicks off, in which the non-champions of the European associations battle it out for the right to start in the second phase of the competition. The Mozartstädter already took part in this in 2024/25, but were eliminated without a win, losing seven of their eight games (one win). Nevertheless, the trend for Brann Bergen against Red Bull Salzburg is that the Red Bulls will remain in the race.
The Norwegians, on the other hand, have never made it to the main round of the Champions League, but after finishing runners-up last year, they are hoping that this will now change. In any case, the euphoria is enormous. The first leg against the Mozart city team sold out in no time, and the atmosphere at Brann Stadium is traditionally good, which is why a good result for Bergen is definitely not out of the question in Brann Bergen vs. Red Bull Salzburg.
Meanwhile, both teams thoroughly botched their dress rehearsal. While SK Brann lost 2-0 away to KFUM Oslo in the Eliteserien on Saturday, the Mozartstädter, who recently played in the 2025 Club World Cup, were only playing a friendly. However, their 1-2 defeat to Derby County revealed weaknesses, particularly in defense, which the Norwegian club could now exploit.
Brann Bergen – Statistics & current form
SK Brann Bergen is one of Norway’s most traditional clubs, although the club, also known as Fotballrepublikken (the football republic), has not won that much. They have won the national championship three times (1962, 1963, and 2007) and the national cup seven times (most recently in 2022). Most recently, however, the Red and Whites secured the runner-up spot twice in a row, which means they are now in contention for a place in the Champions League qualifiers.
However, the Bergen-based club has never reached the main round of the Champions League (formerly the group stage, now the league phase). Its greatest international successes were reaching the round of 32 of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup and the quarter-finals of the former European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996/97. Last season, the Norwegians missed out on qualifying for the Conference League league phase at the very last second.
Brann Bergen has been lacking offensive punch since Heggebö’s departure
Nationally, SK Brann is already halfway through the Norwegian Eliteserien, which started in March. However, coach Freyr Alexandersson’s team is only in third place, which is also due to three defeats in their last seven league games (three wins, one draw). Last Saturday, they lost their dress rehearsal at KFUM Oslo 0-2. So the Futballrepublikken is not going into the Champions League qualifiers in particularly good form.
This is also reflected in the bookmakers’ odds. At Interwetten, where new customers can currently claim a $10 free bet with the Interwetten voucher, the odds for Brann Bergen against Red Bull Salzburg are 2.95 for a home win for the Red and Whites, who, despite their home advantage, must therefore settle for the role of underdogs. This is partly due to the fact that goal-getter Aune Heggebö (13 games, seven goals) moved to West Brom in the summer, leaving a gap that has not yet been filled.
Predicted line-up for Brann Bergen:
Dyngeland – Soltvedt, Holten, Helland, Roeve – Myhre, Kornvig, Gudmundsson, Mathisen – Hansen, Finne
Red Bull Salzburg – Statistics & current form
Red Bull Salzburg has temporarily lost its status as serial champion and also finished “only” second at the national level this summer. As Austrian runners-up, the Red Bulls now have to survive three knockout rounds if they want to participate in the Champions League group stage, just like in 2024/25. However, they did not cover themselves in glory there last season, losing seven of their eight games (one win).
Nevertheless, the Mozart city club has recently gained some international experience, which was also reflected in the fact that the last European starting place for the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup went to the Austrians, who failed to advance from the preliminary round with four out of a possible nine points. Thanks to the high additional income, the Red Bulls were nevertheless able to be very active in the transfer market, allowing coach Thomas Letsch to fulfill some of his wishes.
Seven players are currently injured at Red Bull Salzburg
However, it remains to be seen exactly how good the team is. Another problem is that the infirmary is extremely full, partly due to the very short breaks this summer as a result of the Club World Cup. Nevertheless, the tip for Brann Bergen against Red Bull Salzburg is that the Mozart city team will overcome the hurdle and advance to the third qualifying round, with the omens looking good.
However, the Red Bulls did not exactly cover themselves in glory in their dress rehearsal, losing 2-1 to Derby County in a friendly last Friday. Of course, the game should not be taken too seriously, but it remains to be seen how far the Mozart city team has come in terms of competitive toughness. What is clear is that it will be back to business as usual from the get-go. On Saturday, the Austrians will also enter the Austrian Cup, before the next English week kicks off next week with the return leg against the Norwegians and the start of the Austrian Bundesliga.
Predicted line-up for Red Bull Salzburg:
Schlager – Krätzig, Rasmussen, Gadou, Lainer – Gloukh, Bidstrup, Kjaergaard, Dorgeles – Ratkov, Vertessen
Brann Bergen – Red Bull Salzburg Head-to-head record
There has never been an international competitive match between these two teams, who are now facing each other for the first time. As a result, there is currently no head-to-head data available that could influence our prediction for Brann Bergen vs. Red Bull Salzburg.
Brann Bergen – Red Bull Salzburg Tip
Basically, we are leaning towards a win for Red Bull Salzburg against Brann Bergen, as the Mozart city team has long since put the inglorious times of embarrassing defeats in the Champions League qualifying rounds behind them. The Red Bulls have been regular participants in the Champions League in recent years. However, with no real summer break and a full injury list, Thomas Letsch’s side will first have to show where they stand, which is why the three-way system brings with it a certain degree of uncertainty.
The heated atmosphere in Bergen’s cauldron could also be a factor. Both teams have recently shown themselves to be defensively vulnerable, which is why we think it’s best to bet on a high-scoring first leg at Brann Stadium. We recommend betting on over 2.5 goals.
For at least three goals to be scored in the first leg, the betting odds for Brann Bergen against Red Bull Salzburg are 1.58, which we are betting on with five out of ten units via the handy Bet-at-home app.