Brann - Rosenborg 0-0
By Endre Bakken, 25 August 2008, 08:25
Rosenborg were the better team in Bergen, but were unable to score on their chances.
"I don't think there are any teams that have created as many chances as us on Brann stadion, but we are struggling with the same problem, we are bad on the last third of the pitch. It has been like this all season," Steffen Iversen told TV2.
RBK made several changes to the team: Vadim Demidov stood in for Alejandro Lago, who was home in Uruguay for his mother's funeral. Despite the fact that Andreas Nordvik played well against Djurgården in knee-injured Roy Miller's absence, Roar Strand was preferred as left back this time. In front he had Abdou Traoré, recovered from his ankle injury and replacing Didier Konan. Marek Sapara played centrally.
Led by a hotheaded Per Ciljan Skjelbred Rosenborg started out pressuring Brann highly, which forced the home team to make many mistakes. Two of the greatest chances in the first half followed blunders from previous national keeper Håkon Opdal, but Iversen did not take good care of the gifts he was served. Traoré came close to scoring on a long shot, but Opdal saved.
The second half was a little more equal with some Brann chances in the beginning and the end. Still, Rosenborg owned the game. Iversen started with three decent finishes before substitute Øyvind Storflor should have scored when he was alone with Opdal - the low shot hit the Brann goalie's foot.
Then Vadim Demidov headed powerfully into the crossbar. RBK controlled the match and had several chances. A host of corners were badly taken care of.
Instead the chances came after good play, like when Sapara passed to Storflor, who failed alone with Opdal once more: This time he missed the goal.
