Group B
Kick-off: 19:45 (BST)
Rosenborg coach Knut Torum is looking for his side to bounce back from Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Lillestrom when they host Valencia in tonight’s Group B encounter.
“I believe a win can bring back the Champions League buzz to the club and, given our position in the league, Rosenborg as a whole would gain confidence if we were to get a good result,” said Torum.
After an impressive 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Matchday 1, the Norwegian side’s hopes took a blow when they lost 2-0 at home to Schalke three weeks ago, making this match a vital one.
“I think this game will be quite different from the Schalke one,” said Torum. “Schalke attacked quickly, and didn’t have possession quite as much as I expect Valencia to have.”
“We will force them to play differently from what they have planned. We will be more aggressive and aim to meet them well into their own half,” he added.
Torum makes two changes from the team beaten heavily at Lillestrom. Centre-forward Steffen Iversen is back from injury and replaces Oyvind Storflor while Bjorn Tore Kvarme comes in for Christer Basma at the back.
“Bjorn Tore has been impressive on the training ground, and off course, it’s an advantage that he knows the Spanish game so well,” explained Torum.
Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores says he has no intention of underestimating tonight’s opponents.
“Our confidence levels are good but we know the game will be difficult,” said Sánchez Flores, who was keen to downplay the cold weather as a factor tonight.
“We actually thought it would be even colder, so that will not be an issue. The most important thing is that the pitch is good and it looks as though it is,” he said. V
Valencia hope to have leading scorer David Villa fit but if he fails a late fitnes stest, Sánchez Flores still expects to send out a quality side for this important match.
“We have a strong squad and even though we hope that David will be fit for the game, I’m confident we’ll perform well anyway. We are very motivated to play a good game,” he stated.
