Rosenborg V Maribor
Tuesday 13th August 2019 – 18:00 Kick-Off
UEFA Champions League Third Round
Pick: Over 2.5 Goals
Odds: EVENS
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77/100 | 13/5 | 33/10 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 10th August 2019 at 13:10)
First Leg: Maribor 1-3 Rosenborg (Goals: Marcos Tavares; Alexander Soderlund (x2) and Mike Jensen)
Preview: Rosenborg demonstrated precisely why they are one of the form teams in Norway at the present time, putting Maribor to the sword in Slovenia to win 3-1. That result puts the Slovenians in a precarious situation, needing to chase a couple goals. Will their desire to overturn a sizeable deficit leave them exposed or can Maribor genuinely mount a comeback?
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Rosenborg Preview – Norwegians to continue fine recent form?
Some slack form at the very beginning of the campaign will feel like a distant memory now, especially after producing a stunning display out in Slovenia to put themselves in a very commanding position to qualify for the play-off round. Scoring three times away from home, against a side with a couple of recent group stage appearances in this very competition under their belts, is deserving of a fair amount of credit.
The star last week was veteran striker Alexander Soderlund, whose two strikes helped the Norwegians on their way to a 3-1 victory. The 32-year-old has also been in fine form domestically, along with his team as a whole. Rosenborg are unbeaten in five in the Eliteserien league (W4 D1), but specifically at home the record holders for most league titles (26) have been inspired of late, winning their last five matches in a row at the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim.
In three of those five winning outcomes at home, Soderlund was on target. So the striker could be even more menacing back in Norway, a week after his exploits in Slovenia. In Europe, meanwhile, the club nicknamed Troillongan have already seen off the earlier challenges posed by Linfield and BATE Borisov, winning 6-0 and 3-2 respectively. It has been over a decade, however, since the club were last seen competing at the group stage of the Champions League.
Each of the previous two campaigns had been spent in the Europa League, and that could be what is inspiring the players this time around as they strive for better. Their formidable recent form, both at home and on the continent, would suggest it would take something extraordinary for them to relinquish control of this tie back in Norway.
Maribor Preview – Slovenians to display gritty away form of the last campaign?
There is very rarely any coming back when you lose the opening match of a two-legged contest in Europe at home, so a 3-1 loss in Slovenia really has put the domestic champions on the back foot as they prepare to make the trek over to Norway. It isn’t all that dissimilar to a trip made in the round prior, when taking on AIK Stockholm in the Swedish capital. A 2-1 defeat on that occasion hardly bodes well.
In the last round, Maribor took a slender advantage with them to Scandinavia. They would eventually prevail after extra-time, doing so courtesy of scoring more away goals, but the team nicknamed The Purples require something far more spectacular on this occasion – and there isn’t a great deal about their season to date that would suggest a comeback is even remotely likely.
The Slovenian league recommenced on 13th July, with Maribor having played five times so far (which is less than a third of that played by their opponents and might imply a lack of match sharpness was partly to blame for their downfall last week). The reigning champs have made a less than convincing start, registering just the one win (W1 D3 L1) and managing a couple of score draws in their pair of away fixtures.
However, the one glimmer of hope for the visitors has to be their impressive record away from home during the last campaign. In all the vital statistics, Maribor’s numbers in the league were more healthy when playing as the away side: winning on five more occasion (14 v 9), scoring considerably more frequently (47 v 35) and allowing fewer defensive concessions (18 v 16). Repeating this in Europe isn’t as straightforward, of course.
Rosenborg V Maribor Key Facts:
- Rosenborg have won seven league and European matches in a row as the home side.
- Maribor have failed to win any of their previous three away matches in league and Europe (D2 L1).
- Five of Rosenborg’s last seven victories at home also produced over 2.5 goals.
Betting Summary
Rosenborg’s form has been exceptional for a while now, with their impressive victory out in Slovenia a culmination of weeks of winning momentum sustained back in the Norwegian Eliteserien, where they are currently unbeaten in five altogether (W4 D1) and are enjoying a five game winning streak at home. They’ve already beaten Linfield (4-0) and BATE Borisov (2-0) at home in the earlier rounds.
Maribor need something special if they are to remain in this competition. A sluggish start to life in the new Slovenia league season, winning just one of their opening five fixtures, and neither of their first two away from home, would suggest a comeback may not materialise. Trips to Iceland and Sweden in the earlier rounds produced a 3-0 win over Valur and a 2-1 loss in normal time to AIK Stockholm.
The hosts could prove to be too strong again here. Their splendid current form would suggest a team well and truly in the groove, helped no doubt by the fact their league campaign is already a third of the way through whereas Maribor have only recently got theirs underway. The Slovenians have shown they are capable travellers in the past and could play their part in another entertaining affair, but Rosenborg could take some stopping now in the ascendancy.
