Saint Etienne and Rosenborg will square off tonight in Group G, a group that also contains the likes of Lazio and Dnipro. The competition is very tough, so both sides will need a positive result in their opening game.
St Etienne did not put too much focus in the qualifying stages, beating Targu Mures 3-1 (3-0, 1-2) and Milsami 2-1 (1-1, 1-0), but the French side really started to show its strength in the last month. Saint Etienne is pumping on all cylinders right now, winning 4 consecutive matches in all competitions and coming off a solid 2-1 win at Montpellier over the weekend. Coach Galtier takes the Europa League very seriously, so he is expected to field his best available lineup tonight against the feisty Norwegians.
Rosenborg is on an unbelievable run, losing just once in the last 16 matches and winning 13 of the last 15! Also, the only loss was 1-0 at home against Steaua Bucharest, a match in which Rosenborg was holding a 3-0 first leg advantage, so they really did not even try to win that one. However, much of Rosenborg’s run was due to poor competition in Norway. The double against Steaua Bucharest showed a limited team that got ultra lucky to win 3-0 in Bucharest, being very unimpressive in the home defeat as well. And Steaua Bucharest is truly in a horrible state this season.
Listen, Rosenborg is an honest, solid and hardworking side, very well organized and very effective with their chances. However, they do have a lot of limitations and meeting a team of St Etienne’s caliber, away from home, will likely be too much for them to handle. St Etienne is in great form right now, they care very much about the competitions, while Rosenborg has lost some steam in the last month, since the league title became a lock.
I expect Saint Etienne to win this by one or two goals, they will be able to hold most of the posession and should exploit Rosenborg’s weaknesses with fast, low combinations in the final third of the pitch. My tip is a Saint Etienne win. Prediction: Saint Etienne – Rosenborg 2-1.
Pick: St Etienne
Odds: 1.74
