PSV Eindhoven and Panathinaikos are no doubt two good teams, but rbkweb.com thinks that the Norwegian Masters of Trondheim has a good chance to fight for the second spot in the group, and so, advancement in the Champions League.

Facts

Panathinaikos FC Founded: 1908 City of origin: Atens, Greece Stadium: Apostolos Nikolaidis Capacity: 16 620 Shirt colours: Green shirts and green shorts Merits: 19 league and 16 cup golds Best merit in E-cups: Losing finalist in the league winner's cup, 1971 Top scorer 2003/04: Dimitris Papadopoulos (19 goals in 30 matches) Earlier players from Norway: Arne Dokken, Frank Strandli, Erik Mykland Official home page Panathinaikos in E-cup

"The opening match in Athens will be important when it comes to chances of advancement," Ola By Rise says.

League starts soon
In this respect, one factor especially favours RBK: The Greek league start is delayed until October 3rd due to the Olympics. This means that Panathinaikos meets Rosenborg with virtually no match training. Before the RBK match, a single friendly against Hajduk Split at September 2nd is their only test.

The importance of this can of course be discussed. RBK faired well against Benfica this winter, without having played a mandatory match in three months, and Panathinaikos with six European champions in their squad aren't neccessarily weakened by a late league start. Still, rbkweb.com thinks it should be possible for RBK to do as well this time as in the Champions League qualifications in autumn of 1996. Then RBK lost 0-1 in Greece, even tough Jørn Jamtfall saved a penalty.

The 1997 meeting copied?
The home leg in Trondheim at that time ended in a 3-1 victory to RBK, after extra time. Roar Strand, Steffen Iversen and Vegard Heggem made the goals. A copy of that victory is not impossible. It has almost turned into a cliche that the cold autumn and winter in Trondheim favours RBK in the Champions League, but it is no doubt that the Greek won't like temperatures below zero a month before Christmas. Clad in long trousers, Rosenborg has - as known - waved Mediterrian teams like Real Madrid, Boavista and Athletic Bilbao off the pitch at this time of year.


APOSTOLOS NIKOLAIDIS: September 14th, RBK kicks off the Champions League season in Athens.

Weeks before league start it is hard to say anything for certain about this year's Panathinaikos. The past few years in Europe have been so-so. During last year's group stages, they lost (bad) to Manchester United and Stuttgart, but thanks to a victory in the last away game against Glasgow Rangers, they entered the UEFA cup - where they immediately lost to French club Auxerre.

Two quarter finals in a row
But the years preceding this were better, with quarter finals in both the Champions League and the UEFA cup. In 2002/03, Panathinaikos were in the UEFA cup but were prevented by Porto from entering the semi finals.

Still, it is the Champions League participation in 2001/02 that impresses the most. Then the Greek won their 1st group stage ahead of Arsenal. In the 2nd group stage they ended in a tough group, with Real Madrid, Porto and Sparta Praha, but still they advanced. In the quarter finals, tough, Barcelona went on with a combined 3-2 victory.

Panathinaikos are in other words not the smallest of European teams.

"Company team" from Holland

Facts

Phillips Sport Vereniging Founded: 31.08.1913 City of origin: Eindhoven, Holland Stadium: Phillips Stadium Capacity: 36 500 Shirt colours: Red striped shirts and black shorts Merits: 17 league and 7 cup golds, League winner's cup 1988, UEFA cup 1978 Top scorer 2003/04: Mateja Kezman (31 goals(!) in 29 matches) Earlier players from Norway: Hallvar Thoresen Official home page PSV Eindhoven in E-cup

Phillips Sport Vereniging from Eindhoven, who took this year's silver in Holland, will be Rosenborg's other combattant for the second spot in the group. The "company team" does not have as many internatonals (and European champions) as Panathinaikos, but the league winners of 2003 have plenty of good technical players, led by the internationals Wilfred Bouma, Phillip Cocu and Mark van Bommel, and the goalgetter Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

As opposed to the Greek, PSV will be well into their domestic league when they face Rosenborg. The Dutch division kicked off at August 13th, and after two rounds, PSV had an impressive 10-3 in goal difference after having beat RBC Roosendaal and AZ Alkmaar by 5-2 and 5-1.

Three quarter finals in four years
PSV Eindhoven are, as Panathinaikos, not among the most glamorous clubs in Europe, but still they have done well in the UEFA cup the past few years. Both in 2000/01, 2001/02 and last season they managed to enter the quarter finals, where they were beat by respectively Kaiserslautern, Feyenoord and Newcastle. Still, a strong acchievement!

PSV Eindhoven is in other words a very good team, and Rosenborg will have to struggle both at home at Lerkendal and away at Phillips Stadium. However, we all remember that RBK managed to hold Zlatan, Bergdølmo and the remaining Ajax players at bay two years ago. And it is not more than three years ago that Christer George singlehandedly beat PSV in the Maspalomas tournament.

PSV qualified to the Champions League after having beat RBKs familiar opponent Red Star of Serbia with 7-3 combined (2-3 and 5-0) in the third qualifying round.


PHILLIPS STADIUM:November 2nd, RBK plays in Eindhoven.

Opportunities
Rosenborg will no doubt get tough matches against both Panathinaikos and PSV, who have nice merits from the past few years in the E-cups. Still, this is in many ways a group of possibilities for RBK. No reason to give up in advance, to put it that way.

Former RBK coach Nils Arne Eggen thinks that this year's RBK is the best in years, and with maximum effort and the needed luck, the club can take four or six points in both the double matches against Panathinaikos and PSV.

Was that all?

Facts

Arsenal FC Founded: 1886 City of origin: London, England Stadium: Highbury Capacity: 36 500 Shirt colours: Red and white shirts and white shorts Merits: 13 league and 10 cup golds, Cup winner's cup 94 Top scorer 2003/04: Thierry Henry (30 goals in 37 matches) Earlier players from Norway: Pål Lydersen Official home page Arsenal in E-cup

...some will maybe miss Arsenal in this section, but they should be so well-known that rbkweb.com leaves them out.

Even tough the Londoners often have disappointed in the E-cups, they are obvious favourites to win group E. And as a result, Rosenborg shall not concentrate to take points from them. Still, world stars have left Lerkendal in grief before, so there is allways a chance.

At the same time, let's remember that Arsenal well may be ready for the final stages when RBK travels across the North Sea near Christmas, and in the best Premier League style it may easily mean that they use lots of reserves for this match.

Everything is, in other words, possible.


HIGHBURY: December 7th, the Rosenborg players shall combine christmas shopping in Oxford Street with a football match.


And finally:

RBK's matches:
Tuesday, September 14th: Panathinaikos - Rosenborg
Wednesday, September 29th: Rosenborg - Arsenal
Wednesday, October 20th: Rosenborg - PSV Eindhoven