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Rosenborg welcomes Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League playoffs, with the Norwegians holding a shock 3-0 advantage after the first leg. Qualification seems settled, but Steaua will try to at least redeem some honor in the second match of the tie.
Rosenborg is truly in fantastic form right now, riding a 12 match winning streak in all competitions – the last 5 wins coming to nil. However, as strange as this might sound, Rosenborg is not such a great side and did not particularly impress in Bucharest. Sure, they are good and in form, but their wins came against poor opponents and in Bucharest they were very lucky with that 3-0 result. Steaua dominated the first half, then made some mistakes in the second and Rosenborg took advantage on counters with clinical finishing and efficiency.
The under-performing Steaua has really struggled this season after losing some players and hiring a rookie coach in the Summer. The first leg defeat was really the icing on the cake, a really poor game for the Romanians to top off a string of 5 winless matches. It was also the 8th consecutive game without a win at home for Steaua, who did not end up victorious in any of the home games played this season – an incredible stat. They did better away though, including a 2-1 win over CSU Craiova this weekend. The Romanians will hope the Craiova game will spur them to get back into form, because the quality in the squad is good, even if not quite like in the last few years.
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Team news & lineups:
There are no injuries or suspensions reported for Rosenborg, so they should field the best lineup today. Steaua will get back key defensive players Varela and Breveeld along with key offensive midfielder Stanciu, but will miss arguably their most in form player, attacking midfielder Hamroun. Center back Papp is doubtful.
Rosenborg: Hansen – Svensson, Bjørdal, Eyjólfsson, Skjelvik – Jensen, Selnæs, Midtsjø – Helland, Søderlund, Mikkelsen
Steaua Buc.: Cojocaru – Alcénat, Varela, Toșca, Guilherme – Muniru, Breeveld – Ad. Popa, Stanciu, Chipciu – Tadé
Steaua can hardly play worse than in the first leg. They are a better team than Rosenborg in terms of individual quality, they got a morale boosting win over the weekend, play much better away and are motivated to erase some of the shame they suffered last week. They also get some key players back, which should make a difference. Rosenborg doesn`t need a win and I`m pretty sure they will try and go for a draw, not risking too much. Steaua can edge a win in Norway and I believe they will if they play a decent game, so my tip is Steaua to win with a +0 asian handicap.
The odds for Rosenborg are an absolute joke considering all the factors and circumstances. Obviously a more cautious approach would be a bet on Steaua x2, but I`m going for the best value here. Prediction: Rosenborg – Steaua Bucharest 1-2.
Pick: Steaua Buc (+0 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 3.09 @ Pinnacle
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 16.72
Event date: 27 August
