Preview: Rosenborg vs. Odd
Rosenborg and Odd square off at the Lerkendal Stadion on Sunday with just three points separating the two teams in the Eliteserien standings.
Although the visitors hold a slender advantage over their hosts, Rosenborg have played one game fewer and a two-goal win would see them go above their seventh-placed opponents.
A third-placed finish last season secured European football for Rosenborg, with the Norwegian giants commencing their bid for group-stage qualification earlier this week.
However, they were held to a 2-2 draw away at Crusaders, with the Northern Irish side salvaging a share of the spoils having initially taken an early lead.
While Rosenborg would have been disappointed with that result, it at least extended their unbeaten run to three games, with their previous two league encounters ending in victory.
Svein Maalen is now at the helm on an interim basis and the recent results have been required to move Rosenborg into 10th position in the table.
Although European qualification for the 2024-25 campaign already looks highly unlikely, Maalen will want to end any concerns over relegation, with the gap to the bottom three standing at eight points but with Rosenborg having played at least one match more than the majority of the teams below them.
As far as Odd are concerned, they are yet to replicate the performances that earned them fifth position last season, yet they can currently be content with seventh.
That said, Pal Arne Johansen’s side have only prevailed in six of their 16 league fixtures, two of which have come in recent consecutive matches.
The victories in question have been against two of the bottom three sides in the division, although they do have triumphs over the current third and fourth-placed teams since the beginning of April.
When these two teams squared off in the reverse fixture back on April 30, a goalless draw was played out, but Odd have only kept four clean sheets since that contest.
Rosenborg Norwegian Eliteserien form:
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Rosenborg form (all competitions):
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Odd Norwegian Eliteserien form:
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We say: Rosenborg 1-1 Odd
Both sides have struggled in front of goal this season and it would come as no surprise if this contest was decided by a narrow margin. However, we are predicting a share of the spoils, one which would not benefit either side in terms of making a surge up the table.