We have a midweek round of Norwegian Eliteserien fixtures on the horizon. On Thursday, Rosenborg BK host FK Haugesund in one of the standout ties of Round 8.
Haugesund find themselves second from bottom in the table – five points clear of last-place Kristiansund and one point inside the relegation zone.
On the flip side, Rosenborg occupy eighth place – four points ahead of Haugesund and six points outside the top three.
Rosenborg have lost just one of their seven league games this season, picking up two wins and four draws along the way.
They have also conceded a measly seven goals, meaning they boast the second-best defensive record in the division – behind first-place Lillestrom.
Thanks to their impressive defensive efforts, Rosenborg have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three home games in the league.
On top of that, they have lost just one of their previous 13 Eliteserien games – highlighting their consistency.
As for Haugesund, they have managed to win just two of their eight league matches this term – suffering six defeats in the process.
To make matters worse, they have the poorest defensive record in the division after conceding a whopping 16 goals (2 goals per game).
When you look at the bigger picture, Haugesund have only claimed two wins in their previous 16 Eliteserien clashes.
Despite racking up 53% possession and 19 shots on Sunday, Haugesund were thrashed 4-1 by Bodo/Glimt on home soil.
Head-to-head: Each of the past two meetings between Rosenborg and Haugesund ended in a goalless draw.
Rosenborg have managed to win just one of their previous six meetings with Haugesund, suffering three defeats along the way.
Across the past eight Eliteserien meetings, however, both sides have picked up three wins. The other two clashes ended all square.
Team news: Rosenberg will be without Jonathan Augustinsson on Thursday as the left-back continues to recover from a hip injury.
Haugesund have no injury worries at the moment. Their main man is Alioune Ndour, who has bagged three goals and three assists in seven outings this term.
While Haugesund have lost six of their eight games, Rosenborg have only suffered one defeat in seven outings. All the signs point towards a home win here.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score on Thursday. However, Rosenborg should have enough quality to outscore the visitors.