Sunday 10/08/2014, 18:00, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 19, Rosenborg vs Start

Rosenborg vs Start Preview

The Europa League adventure ended abruptly for Rosenborg, who was unable to win the second leg, after drawing away from home. It was a disappointing exit for the former champions, but now that it happened, they can focus on the domestic championship, where they sit in the fifth place. The situation is not as dire as it might seem, because they are separated from Odd by just five points and the runners-up face a tough opponent on Saturday.

Rosenborg vs Start Odds

At Bet365

Rosenborg 1.75, Draw 3.60, Start 4.50

Rosenborg vs Start Tips

Start enjoyed a three-game winning streak that started in the first week of July, but they were stopped in their tracks by Haugesund who scored five goals while allowing just one. Much to their credit, they managed to earn a point against leaders Molde in the previous round and they will be now traveling to Rosenborg, aiming for another draw.

Unlike their competitors, Start is not fighting a war on two fronts, which means that players are well rested and there are no injury concerns ahead of this fixture. Since the top priority is to avoid conceding an early goal, the visitors are expected to field a 5-4-1 starting formation with Hoff upfront. If things take a turn for the worse, Asante could join him, but as long as Rosenborg doesn't score, no adjustments will be made.

By comparison, the hosts are in dire need of points and their throw everything they've got at the visiting team, trying to forget about the midweek defeat. Over the last two weeks, Rosenborg failed to win a single match and has alternated draws with defeats, but the most worrisome fact is that they allowed eight goals in four matches.

Riski and Mikkelsen will play together in the offensive, but it would come as no surprise if Soderlund will join them in the second half. The hosts won't settle for a point and will be willing to take more chances upfront, which might expose them to counterattacks.

Key Facts

• Rosenborg has a crushing head to head record, having won 9/13 games played the game starts when they had home pitch advantage.
• Start conceded a goal in every single Tippeligaen match played so far this season.

Rosenborg vs Start Prediction

Bet365 offers odds of 1.75 for Rosenborg to win this afternoon, which clearly reflect the difference in value between the two teams. The visitors are willing to play lowball in an attempt of earning one point, but this strategy could come back to bite them.

Bet: Rosenborg @ 1.75 with Bet365