Rosenborg will attempt to continue their increasingly impressive form at Lerkendal when they welcome third-placed Tromsø to Trondheim on Saturday evening.

The hosts demolished HamKam 4-0 last weekend to record a fourth successive Eliteserien home victory, while Tromsø arrive looking for a response after a 2-0 defeat away to Kristiansund. The visitors already know how to beat Rosenborg this season, having recorded a 2-0 victory when the clubs met at Romssa Arena in April.

Analysis

Rosenborg

Rosenborg’s league position tells the story of an inconsistent campaign, but their recent performances at Lerkendal offer significantly more encouragement.

Freyr Alexandersson’s team sit sixth with 27 points from 19 matches, having won eight, drawn three and lost eight. Their 31 goals scored and 26 conceded also illustrate why they have struggled to establish themselves among the leading group.

At home, however, Rosenborg have suddenly become formidable. The 4-0 victory over HamKam was their fourth consecutive Eliteserien win at Lerkendal. Before that match, they had already recorded three straight home victories with an aggregate score of 9-1, meaning that sequence now stands at 13 goals scored and only one conceded across four home league wins.

The manner of last weekend’s victory was particularly convincing. Emil Konradsen Ceïde put Rosenborg ahead after only 16 seconds, Noah Sahsah doubled the advantage shortly after half time and Amin Chiakha struck twice to complete the rout.

Chiakha’s contribution is becoming increasingly important. His double against HamKam took the striker to 11 Eliteserien goals this season, giving Tromsø’s defence an obvious focal point to contain.

There is also greater variety around him. Ceïde offers pace and direct running, Sahsah was on target last weekend, while Ole Selnæs remains an important figure in controlling possession from midfield. Simen Bolkan Nordli adds another creative option to an attack that has looked considerably more fluent at Lerkendal.

Rosenborg have also shown that their recent improvement is not exclusively the product of beating weaker opposition. They defeated title-chasing Viking 2-1 at Lerkendal in August and followed that with a 2-0 away success against Lillestrøm. Their only league setback across their last five matches was a 4-2 defeat at leaders Bodø/Glimt.

Alexandersson does have a fresh selection problem, though. Rosenborg confirmed on Friday that Johan Bakke will miss the remainder of the season following surgery on an injury.

Saturday also provides an opportunity to settle an outstanding score. Rosenborg travelled north in April and were beaten 2-0 by Tromsø, so they will be looking to prevent the visitors from completing a league double.

Tromsø

Tromsø’s overall campaign has been significantly stronger than Rosenborg’s. Jørgen Vik’s side arrive at Lerkendal in third place with 35 points from 19 matches, having won 10, drawn five and lost only four. Their goal difference of +12 comes from 34 scored and 22 conceded.

Their away record also deserves respect. Tromsø have collected 14 points on their travels from four wins, two draws and three defeats, and some of their most impressive performances this season have come outside Tromsø.

That includes a 2-1 victory at Brann early in the campaign, while they subsequently produced emphatic away wins over HamKam and Aalesund, scoring four at Briskeby and six at Color Line Stadion respectively.

Recent momentum, however, has stalled. Tromsø’s last three league matches have produced only one point. A 3-2 defeat at Molde was followed by a goalless home draw against Sarpsborg 08, before last Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Kristiansund. Most concerningly for Vik, his team failed to score in either of those last two fixtures.

Their European campaign may have played some part in disrupting the rhythm of their domestic season. Tromsø came through a spectacular Conference League qualifying tie against CFR Cluj, winning 5-0 in Romania before losing the return leg 2-1, but their run ended against Brighton after a goalless first leg and 4-0 defeat in England.

With Europe now behind them, the focus is entirely on protecting their position towards the top of the Eliteserien. Tromsø should nevertheless draw confidence from the reverse fixture. They defeated Rosenborg 2-0 at Romssa Arena in April during an excellent start to the season, and their established 5-3-2 structure gives them the capacity to defend compactly before attacking quickly when possession changes hands.

That approach may be particularly important at Lerkendal. Rosenborg have become increasingly dangerous when allowed to dictate matches at home, so Tromsø cannot afford to let Selnæs and the home midfield establish an easy rhythm.

Verdict

The league table favours Tromsø, but current form at Lerkendal points strongly in the opposite direction. Rosenborg have won four consecutive home league matches, scoring 13 times and conceding only once during that sequence. Chiakha is in goalscoring form, and last weekend’s 4-0 victory suggested that Alexandersson’s attacking unit is beginning to click.

Tromsø remain the better-performing side across the season as a whole and already hold a 2-0 victory over Rosenborg, so this should be a much sterner examination than HamKam provided. However, one point and no goals from their last two league games represents a noticeable loss of momentum. We expect Tromsø to make this competitive, but Rosenborg’s transformation at Lerkendal gives the hosts the edge.

Our prediction: Rosenborg 2-1 Tromsø.

Tip

Our tip: Rosenborg to win.