Match Previews

Rosenborg missing only Strasgaard (r)(def) due to injury... Demidov (r)(def) will play after missing the weekend fixture due to a domestic ban... Rosenborg’s UEFA Cup campaign got off to a rather damp start a fortnight ago when they were involved in an uninspiring scoreless draw against Club Brugge at home. The Norwegian side were content to keep things relatively tight against their Belgian opponents but this led to few chances being created by the home side, with many of their best strikes coming from outside the penalty box. Chances were few and far between for the most part and Rosenborg would probably not be averse to a similar kind of performance on Thursday evening against Saint-Étienne. France has not been a country in which the Norwegian side have flourished by any means, never having picked up so much as a draw in France previously. The manner of their defeats has been particularly emphatic, losing 7-2 to PSG and 5-0 to Lyon since the turn of the millennium. Of course, this is a very different Rosenborg side but not one that is thriving domestically. Recent results have seen Rosenborg complete their domestic season in a rather disappointing 5ht place. This matched last season’s finish. A home defeat against Bodø/Glimt (1-3) completed their season on Sunday. Playing in their familiar 4-4-2 system, the Trondheim side utilised their strongest unit on Sunday and will likely do so again on Thursday as they simply have Europe to concentrate on for the next few weeks. Iversen and Ya Konan are the obvious strike pairing while Roar Strand, who gave Rosenborg the lead at the weekend, will provide a threat from the right-hand side of midfield. Tetty and Sapara will likely be given the central berths with Skjelbred out on the left. The defence could be altered slightly as Lago and Nordvik, who started at the weekend, were not included in the defence at the outset of the Brugge draw. Stadsgaard is injured for the next month while Demidov returns to the side after domestic suspension. Rosenborg have not named a squad for this encounter.