Rosenborg v Molde – Sunday 8th July – Trondheim (20:00)
Rosenborg v Molde
The Norwegian Tippeligaen is approaching its half-way mark with the title race still wide open. This weekend see’s the two title favourites clash in a match that will surely play a part in the title race come end of the season. Champions Molde will travel to the undisputed giants of Norwegian football, Rosenborg.
Without wanting to undermine the championships won by Molde and other clubs in recent years, the Norwegian league have for the last two decades been either won or lost by Rosenborg. They won 13 championships in a row from 1992 to 2004, followed by titles in 2006, 2009 and 2010. But it was the 11 group stage appearances in the Champions League that really consolidated their position as the sporting and financial powerhouse of Norwegian football to such a degree that anything other than first place would be an underachievement. Even the last few years of bad financial results will not threaten Rosenborg’s economic superiority, but for the first time in over 20 years there is the real possibility of a more sustained shift of football power away from their city of Trondheim. If Molde was to retain the title, it would be the first time since a team other than Rosenborg managed that feat since Valerenga won the league in 1983 and 1984. The gap of quality between Rosenborg and their closest competitors’ has become smaller and smaller over the last few seasons, and it is no longer a given that they will possess the superior squad or starting line-up. Rosenborg started the league well but lost top spot after drawing five of their last eight matches. Unlike Molde they have two proven goalscorers in, Swede Rade Prica, who has got 46 league goals in 78 matches since signing in 2009 and Steffen Iversen who has returned for his third spell with the club after a year at Crystal Palace, and even at 35 he will undoubtedly continue to up his tally of 85 goals in 183 league games for Rosenborg.
The climax of last year’s Tippeligaen captured the imagination of many, solely due to the success of Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær leading Molde to their first title in his first season in charge. Despite a slow start to this season, Molde have gone on a seven-game unbeaten streak, reeling off five straight wins that took them to second place, a draw and a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Odd Grenland last weekend. Molde have the best home record in the league, having won all seven games at home, however, their away form has been their downfall and a big improvement will be required this weekend. This season will be a far sterner test for the reigning champions. They made just one major signing in young Even Hovland, one of the greatest Norwegian defensive talents of his generation. The centre-half turned down a far more lucrative offer to play in Russia for the wealthy Anzhi Makhachkala, in favour of joining Solskjær’s project in Molde. They lacked a pure goal scorer in the team last season, but Ivorian Davy Angan has assumed that role in his second season for the club. The 24-year-old has already surpassed his tally of 11 goals last season in all competitions by scoring 14 goals so far, nine in the league and five in the cup.
Rosenborg have dominated past head-to-heads with Molde. However, this is a new era for Molde under Solskjær. They beat Rosenborg 4-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the cup last week. That victory was at home and the most likely result here is the draw.
