Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Valur
Match Time & Date:
11/07/2018
04:00 PM
Prediction: 1-1
Rosenborg
After kicking-off Iceland championship in style, Valur will be looking to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they host Rosenborg at their Vodafonevollurin stadium in the first leg of the Champions League first qualifying round. Valur have been producing scintillating displays in the national championship, but beating Rosenborg is easier said than done. The Norwegian side sit in the second place in the Eliteserien standings ahead of the trip to Iceland and it has to be noted that they have been in a fine form of late. The Norwegians are seen as favourites to make it to the second qualifying round, but seeing that Valur are on a three-game winning run at home at the moment, we are not tempted to put our money on the visitors. Rosenborg have been impressive at the back of late, meaning that a low scoring clash is on the horizon.
Highlighted Player (Nicklas Bendtner):
Over the years Nicklas Bendtner has established himself as one of the best Danish footballers. The 194-cm tall striker, who is very good in the air, started his senior career at Arsenal and he scored his first goal at the Emirates Stadium in a pre-season match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Nicklas Bendtner scored 24 goals in 108 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s troops in the English top flight and after ending his loan spells with the likes of Birmingham City, Sunderland and Juventus, he moved to Germany in the summer of 2014 and signed a three-year deal with Wolfsburg. Bendtner made his Bundesliga debut on August 30, coming as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. After spending two seasons at Wolfsburg, the Denmark international joined Championship side Nottingham Forest on September 7, 2016.
Nicklas Bendtner, though, made only 15 appearances in the English second tier for the Reds and it has to be noted that he scored two goals for the City Ground outfit in the 2016/2017 season. In March 2017 the Danish attacker signed a contract with Norwegian side Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee. Nicklas Bendtner represented Denmark at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and he score one goal for the Danes at the showpiece tournament in South Africa.
Highlighted Team (Rosenborg):
Rosenberg are undisputedly the most famous Norwegian club. The Troillongan have participated in the Champions League group stages on several occasions and they are the dominant force in the Norwegian Premier League. Rosenborg won their 24th (record) domestic title in 2016, with the team finishing the season 15 points clear of second-placed Brann.
The Norwegian side are well known for their black and white kits and Lerkendal Stadion is the club’s home ground. The capacity of the venue is 21.405 and the stadium was opened back in 1947. John Carew is the most notable footballer who played for Rosenborg in the past and it has to be noted that the powerful centre-forward scored 18 goals in 18 appearances in the league for the Troillongan.
Nowadays Nicklas Bendtner wears Rosenborg shirt, but he did not help the Norwegian champions make it to the Champions League group stages. Rosenborg eliminated Dundalk in the second qualifying round, but Scottish side Celtic proved to be a big catch for Kare Hedley Ingebrigtsen’s troops in round 3.
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