The first leg of this match saw a 2-1 victory for the Norwegian side, but APOEL, who surprised many with their run to the Champions League quarter final in the 2011/12 season, managed to score a vital away goal.
Cypriot champions APOEL will go into this game knowing they have a real chance of getting through to the next round thanks to their away goal. It will be interesting to see how Thomas Christiansen sets up his side knowing that just a mere 1-0 win would be enough for his team. The last home game they played was in the previous Champions League qualifier against TNS of Wales where they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, despite drawing the first leg 0-0 in Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. This game is against a much tougher opponent and will require completely different thinking.
I was impressed with what I saw from Rosenborg in their previous Champions League qualifier against Swedish champions Norrköping. I expected them to struggle but they managed to convincingly dispose of the Swedes. Additionally, on the domestic front, the 2015 Norwegian champions once again look like retaining their crown in 2016 as they are currently six points clear after 17 games with an excellent goal difference of +27.
Although Rosenborg will be concerned about APOEL’s away goal from the previous leg, Kåre Ingebrigtsen (who is from the local area of Trondheim) will know that his side are in the driving seat and will be confident of getting a result in Cyprus.
Despite the fact that Rosenborg are underdogs for this match I would still back them to win at 11/5. However, if you fancy something with a bit more of a return you can go with ‘Half Time Draw/Full Time Rosenborg Win’ at odds of 13/2. As previously mentioned, I think APOEL will sit tight and wait for an opportunity to counter, especially in the first half, whilst Rosenborg will be wary of being exposed at the back knowing that just one goal against them could cost them Champions League football this season. If the Norwegian side can keep it tight in the first half then they are likely to get counter-attacking opportunities of their own.
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