(Football news) While Rosenborg is only 14 games into their current Eliteserien season and currently sits eighth in the standings, the Red Devils are preparing for their Premier League opening against Fulham on August 16.
It has been seven weeks since Manchester United’s historic 2-1 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City to cap off their 2023–24 campaign.
In addition to helping Erik ten Hag retain his position as head coach, the outcome and the team’s performance also helped the Red Devils advance to the 2024–25 Europa League group stage, meaning that even though they finished eighth in the Premier League, there will be European football at Old Trafford the following season.
Manchester United have entered a new era under the leadership of INEOS, and the future certainly looks bright, with the club set to have a busy transfer window; Joshua Zirkzee’s arrival was officially announced on Sunday, although he will not be involved in this contest.
The Red Devils returned to pre-season training on July 6, and they will take part in five friendlies this summer, tacking Rangers after this contest, before heading to the United States for matches against Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool.
The 20-time English champions will then take on Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 10, before opening their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Fulham on August 16.
There will certainly be pressure on Ten Hag to improve on last season, with the Dutchman recently signing a 12-month extension, and Man United will be bidding to open their pre-season preparations with a positive performance in Trondheim on Monday night.
Rosenborg, as mentioned, are 14 matches into their Eliteserien campaign, with a total of 17 points leaving them in eighth position in the table.
Alfred Johansson’s side will enter the contest off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Sarpsborg 08 on Friday, and they have lost two of their last three matches during a difficult run of form.
Rosenborg are 26-time Norwegian champions, making them comfortably the most successful outfit in their own country, with their last triumph coming in 2018, but they were ninth last term and currently sit a disappointing eighth after 14 games of the current campaign.
The hosts will be back in league action against Lillestrom on July 21, and that contest is certainly more important than this one, but the emotion involved makes this a gigantic game for the club.
Rosenborg have never faced Man United in a competitive fixture, but the two teams have locked horns in two friendlies in the past, including in 1992, when the Red Devils recorded a 3-2 victory.
Paul Ince, Brian McClair and Denis Irwin registered in that encounter, while Man United beat Rosenborg 8-0 in a friendly when the two teams locked horns back in 1977.
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