Molde lost 2-1 at home to Aalesund in a dramatic county derby, a result that damages their position in the race for European qualification. Two key VAR overturns in the second half were central to a match that ended Molde's run of four consecutive victories.

Aalesund took an early lead when Uba Charles set up Mathias Christensen for 1-0 after seven minutes. Isak Skotheim, who recently joined from Hødd, made it 2-0 before the break with his first goal for his new club. Molde fought back and pulled one back to 2-1 when Emil Breivik assisted Kristian Lonebu in the 82nd minute. Lonebu, who himself moved from Aalesund at the end of August, scored against his former team.

  • It's so far below par that I don't understand any of it at all, said Molde coach Sindre Tjelmeland about his team's performance after the match.

VAR dominated the second half. Referee Rohit Saggi first showed a red card to Aalesund goalkeeper Luca Podlech after a challenge on Jalal Abdullai in the 58th minute, but overturned the decision after a monitor review. Shortly after, a penalty awarded to Molde for an alleged foul on Abdullai was also rescinded following a VAR check. Emil Breivik hit the crossbar in added time in an attempt to salvage a point.

The win gave Aalesund a vital boost to 21 points and 13th place. For Molde, who were third with 36 points from 20 games before the match, the defeat means they now trail Rosenborg in fifth place by three points. Lillestrøm could overtake Rosenborg if they win away to Viking on Sunday. This loss sees Molde slip in the standings and forces them to look over their shoulder at several competitors in the European race.

  • We are alive, said Aalesund coach Kjetil Rekdal to TV 2 after the victory.

Molde's next challenge is an away fixture against Lillestrøm on October 11th, a direct clash with another team fighting high up the table. After four straight wins and a solid goal difference of 43-30 this year, the team needs to find their winning form again quickly to keep pace at the top. To understand what went wrong, a look at the match's detailed stats can be revealing. The loss leaves Molde 14 points behind league leaders Bodø/Glimt, underlining the need for a quick return to the winning form that had seen them score 43 goals this season.