Hammarby – Rosenborg 14-08-2025

The European Cup and Rosenborg used to be an adventure for those of us who have followed this club for many years. There was a time when Rosenborg was a name many of the big clubs in Europe wanted to avoid.

That time is unfortunately over. Now they meet Hammarby in the qualifiers for the opportunity to qualify for a group stage in the UEFA Conference League. The weakest of the three European Cups. The first match ended somewhat as expected with 0-0 and few goals.

Two teams that felt a little bit of each other, and Rosenborg probably disappointed the most. They would have liked to have a better starting point before they head to 3Arena in Stockholm. Where a fanatical home crowd is expected. It is a crowd pressure that Rosenborg will really feel. It smells a bit of an advantage for the home team on the artificial turf.

Hammarby – Top team with the strength at home.

Hammarby are currently second in the Allsvenskan standings. Only behind surprise team Mjallby. They have had a solid season, and are still one of the favorites to win the league this season. The team is currently 13-3-3 in 19 games with a goal difference of 36-16.

But there is no doubt that they are at their best at home. There they have 8-1-1 in 10 games this season. Where the only loss is against league leader Mjallby. 20-7 in goal difference is an average of 2 goals scored and under 1 goal conceded. Solid numbers. No doubt that Hammarby in the previous match played a little for a result, which means that they can now decide this on home soil. They are safe at 3Arena, and the artificial turf probably has a lot to say. We see that more and more often. Teams that play on artificial turf have an advantage against teams that are not as used to playing on such a surface.

In total of 19 games in the series this year, it is worth noting that they have kept a clean sheet in 11 games. So a solid defensive team. That was also part of the reason why they got past Charleroi in the first round. 0-0 at home was followed by 1-2 away after extra time. A solid performance when Charleroi were perhaps tight favorites. When it comes to players to watch out for, it is the experienced Nahir Besara who stands out. The 34 year old is having a great season, and from his midfield position he is the team's top scorer with 10 goals. Together with his 3 assists, he is the second best goal-scoring player in Sweden to date. Else, Sebastian Tounekti, who is known from his time in Haugesund, is a player to watch out for, he is creative from his wing position, and was probably one of the players who was most active in the first match at Lerkendal.

We know what the home team stands for on their own artificial turf. But let's take a look at Rosenborg.

Rosenborg – Disaster on artificial turf.

While Hammarby thrive on artificial turf, we can't say the same about Rosenborg. They have actually been completely out of shape on this surface lately. Even though the team easily advanced in the previous round against Banga. This return match will probably put the Rosenborg team to a real test.

Rosenborg does not come into the match with much confidence. Especially considering the surface. Because Rosenborg has struggled recently, and especially against strong artificial turf teams. They were crushed by Bodø Glimt, Kristiansund and KFUM, as well as a draw against Sarpsborg. They are also aware of this, and Alfred therefore switched to training on artificial turf this week. That says a bit about the challenge. Too often, Rosenborg does not take into account the opponent's strengths, but wants to promote their own. They have probably felt this very much after the recent results against the fast artificial turf teams.

The load is also greater when they train on artificial turf, and Dino Islamovic had to skip training early in the week to manage the load. So that the injuries do not occur. They are dependent on their striker. There are almost no other players who score goals in Rosenborg during the day. When Rosenborg disappointed at home against Hammarby last time, the favorite stamp has probably shifted to the Swedish team that is doing well during the day. So let's conclude before we reveal the game.

Conclusion – The home team is best on artificial turf.

We think Rosenborg had their big chance at home last time. But now that they didn't take advantage of it, we see Hammarby as pretty big favorites to make it to the next round.

Our bet is largely based on Rosenborg's poor form on artificial turf, supported by Hammarby's strong home form. When the crowd turns out in droves to support the home team, the sum total of this is that a somewhat unfinished RBK will lose this match. We therefore play the following bets:

Football at 19:00: Hammarby – Rosenborg: Hammarby wins (1.98)