Rosenborg – Kristiansund 01.05.2025

It's ready for another party day at Lerkendal, as Rosenborg this time once again hosts a team from Møre. Kristiansund is the team coming. It will certainly not be the same party as last time at Lerkendal, when it was sold out. But even though it was a party, the match did not live up to expectations, and the fans hope that this match can be a party on the pitch as well as in the stands.

There's no doubt that this showdown on paper is big brother versus little brother. But everyone knows that little brothers can be annoying at times, and we wonder if there might be a chance of that this time? Let's take a look!

Rosenborg – Back to stay.

Much has been said and written about Rosenborg lately. Because after fumbling in all directions for several seasons. They made a choice last year, when they hired Alfred Johansson as coach. This young coaching talent from Sweden, who came via Copenhagen's youth investment, was to get a chance at the big club Rosenborg.

It wouldn't have happened a few years ago. But it would turn out to be a wise choice. He came into the club with a vision that was in line with what the fans have wanted for many years. The club was going to return to its own style of play, and train to be a leading team. With many of the same players that Rekdal/Frigård thought were too bad, Alfred has built a team. He was asked after the away game against KFUM last year, which they lost, if he was the right man for the job. Because after a tough start, it was an already pressured coach who was being watched closely. But he stood firm in that process, and answered straight. He said he saw improvement in the game, and the players' understanding was getting better with each game. He had let a lot of young players in, and things would take some time. From there on, Rosenborg has actually been the team that has picked up the most points in the Eliteserien. That included an unbeatable Bodø Glimt team. It must be said to be impressive.

Young players have taken big steps (Nypan, Broholm, Sunde +++), and players who did not have much confidence under the previous coach have now been given key roles (Mikkel Konradsen Ceide, Ulrik Yttergård Jensen). It just shows what self-confidence and belief in players leads to. In addition, they have been rock solid at the back, and have only conceded 1 goal so far. If you fast forward to the last game where Rosenborg took on Molde for the derby, you really see how far they have come. A disappointed Rosenborg had to watch Molde defend themselves to a 0-0 result, and the players were frustrated and angry that they had delivered so poorly. A couple of years ago, the fans and the players had been satisfied, both with the result, and not least the performance. But that is no longer the case. They both believe and believe in what they are doing, and we are therefore confident that the team will be far ahead this season.

For that to happen, teams like Kristiansund must be beaten at home. We know that Rosenborg's focus after the last match has been that they felt they had been cowards. It is not a trap they want to fall into again. We will therefore see an RBK that this time goes offensively. We also believe in a sharp change for this match. Dino Isalmovic, who had a good period in the training matches before the season, has not delivered well enough. That is probably also part of the reason why RBK has only scored 5 goals so far.

We think maybe fan yngling Sæter will get the chance in this match. Or it could well be Holm who set a club record with 7 goals in the same match, in the first round of the cup this year. Exciting that there is a lot of competition for that spot. It is also starting to get closer that Selnes is back in the starting lineup, and against a low-ranked away team, he could be the key to breaking through the defensive wall. We think RBK will take this one soon.

Kristiansund – Varying results.

Kristiansund have had some good performances this season. They have mostly been in the same league, or even had better xG than their opponents this season. But from beating Tromsø away to losing to HamKam away, the results have been too variable. They have an exciting team on paper, and we think this team will do well in the division.

It also seems like they have a good coach in Skiri. He seems to get a lot out of this team. 3 losses and 2 wins have been there so far this season, and are in 10th place so far. They have only beaten teams that are behind them in the table, while Vålerenga and Viking, who are ahead in the table, have both ended up with 2 goal losses. Could this be a trend? It's probably a bit too early to say anything.

7 goals in 5 games so far, but a whopping 10 goals against. That suggests a team that is opening up, and that could be scary against a team like Rosenborg.

They also have a couple of significant injuries, and not least first-choice goalkeeper Lansing is a heavy absentee. 23-year-old Sæther, who was now in goal against Vålerenga, did not have a good game, and will probably feel the pressure from the Lerkendal crowd.

Historically, Kristiansund has managed to be a troublesome little brother. But we think that this time it will be too tough to catch up with a high-flying Rosenborg. They have a very young team, and although Ulvestad at 36 years old still keeps the heat, the average age of the team last time against Vålerenga was exactly 24 years old. In fact, as many as 8 players were 23 years old or younger. It can also be a factor in a stadium like Lerkendal. Rosenborg, who have a young team themselves, had an average of 24.6 years.

Now it's not like age itself should be what determines whether you're good enough or not. But the pressure that's currently on Lerkendal can have an impact on young players. We believe that. Moreover, it's a team that's unsure at the back of the field, and that against a team that has a lot to offer. We think they'll have a tough time here.

Conclusion – Rosenborg will score goals.

Rosenborg has been focusing on the fact that they have scored too few goals so far this season, and Alfred has had that as his focus going into this match. As I said, we believe in a sharp substitution as it has looked a bit heavy up front. With a young goalkeeper in goal for Kristiansund, it will be difficult to stand against this offensive team from Trondheim.

We expect the home team to gain the upper hand, and that the trend of losing by two or more points to teams above them in the table continues for Kristiansund. We therefore recommend the following bets.

Eliteserien at 18:00: Rosenborg – Kristiansund: Rosenborg wins -1.5 goals (1.85)