Rosenborg v Celtic Betting: Back the Hoops to finish away job

Celtic face a testing trip to face Rosenborg in the third round of Champions League qualification when they travel to Norway on Wednesday night.

The Hoops were hampered by the absence of strikers Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths for last week’s first leg and, as such, the Scottish champions were held to a 0-0 draw against Kare Ingebrigtsen’s side in Glasgow.

Dembele will again miss out here, although Leigh Griffiths looks likely to return, while Brendan Rodgers will undoubtedly take heart from a superb 5-0 win against Sunderland at Stadium of Light in a friendly fixture on Saturday afternoon.

James Forrest took a central role against the Black Cats, but it was Callum McGregor who grabbed the headlines after hitting a hat-trick for the Hoops.

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Celtic, therefore, are not short of players who are capable of putting the ball in the net - indeed, Genting make the Hoops their 8/5 (2.60) favourites to claim a crucial victory in Norway, with 11/5 (3.20) that the tie remains level at the end of 90 minutes – a score draw, of course, would be enough for Celtic to progress.

Rosenborg, however, will feel that they are more than capable of securing a place in the next round, having earned a hard-fought draw in Glasgow. Ingebrigtsen’s men passed up a number of good opportunities to score at Celtic Park and the Norwegians may fear that they will pay the price for that prolificacy on this occasion.

Rosenborg are available at 7/4 (2.75) to claim victory on Wednesday and they will surely take heart from Celtic’s away record in this competition, for the Hoops have won just one of their last nine Champions League clashes away from Glasgow – against Linfield in the previous round.

A nervy night, therefore, lies ahead and those anticipating another tight tussle may well be tempted by the 4/5 (1.80) for fewer than three goals to be scored when these two teams lock horns, with 7/1 (8.0) that neither side finds the net.

There is just 7/10 (1.70) that both teams are on target and 10/11 (1.91) that there are more than two goals scored as these rivals bid to take another step towards a place in the group stages of this season’s competition.

Celtic, though, will take confidence from their demolition of Sunderland on Saturday and Rodgers’ side, who claimed away draws against both Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach in the group stages last term, are capable of putting their Champions League away-day blues behind them and picking up the vital victory that they need in this tie.

As such, Genting’s 8/5 (2.60) quote for the Scottish champions to come out on top may offer decent value for punters ahead of Wednesday’s crucial clash in Trondheim.

  Genting