Having made it safely passed Northern Irish side Linfield, the next test for Celtic as they bid to make the Champions League group stage is a two-legged encounter with Rosenborg. Brendan Rodgers and his men made light work of their previous opponents, however a match with the Norwegian league leaders is certain to provider a much sterner test.
Rosenberg boss Kåre Hedley Ingebrigtsen has seen his team defeated just twice this season, with already seventeen games having been played in Norway. Given the fact that Celtic are still finding their feet during pre-season, it could be that the Hoops struggle to find their best form immediately. With a great amount of interest upon this game, let’s take a closer look at the teams involved, as well as our top betting tip for the match.
Celtic
A 6-0 aggregate victory over Linfield saw Celtic reach this stage, with Scottish player of the Year Scott Sinclair having picked up where he left off from last season. The former Manchester City man will once again be the main goalscoring threat for the home side, with usual strike partner, Moussa Dembele, continuing to be linked with a move away from Celtic Park.
The home crowd are certain to play a pivotal role during the 90 minutes, with few better atmospheres in Europe. Scottish internationals Kieran Tierney and Stuart Armstrong were two of Celtic’s starts from their undefeated campaign last time around, and will both be players to look out for on Wednesday. Celtic last met Rosenberg back in 2001, winning one and losing one of their two Champions League group stage meetings that year.
Rosenborg BK
Despite not having the same European pedigree as their opponents, Rosenborg will certainly not be a pushover at Celtic Park. The Norwegians required an extra time goal in order to overcome Dundalk in the previous round, with their squad dominated by home-grown players.
However, Icelandic striker Matthias Vilhjálmsson is likely to cause the Celtic defence problems, with the 30-year-old having scored a hatful of goals since his arrival back in 2015. Meanwhile, forgotten man
Nicklas Bendtner has now found himself at Rosenborg, with the Danish international looking to get his career back on track following an unsuccessful spell with Nottingham Forest.
Top Betting Tip
Celtic usually rise to the occasion on European nights at Celtic Park, and given their form over the last 12 months, it is difficult to look beyond them heading into next week’s second leg with a lead under their belt. As a result, our top betting tip for the match is to back Brendan Rodgers’ men to win, which can be found at best odds of 2/5 from bookmakers Ladbrokes.