Aalesund will be aiming to earn only their second win of the Eliteserien campaign when they welcome struggling Rosenborg to the Color Line Stadion on Sunday evening.
The hosts are in danger of being cut adrift at the foot of the table if they cannot begin to record regular maximums, while Rosenborg are experiencing one of their poorest starts to a season this century.
Match preview
Aalesund return to Eliteserien action this weekend following a near three-week break for the team, with their last league match on June 11 ending in a 3-2 loss at home against Tromso.
Bjorn Kristensen put the hosts ahead after 24 minutes, and for a while it seemed as if the club's second win of the term was on the cards, but a brace from Vegard Erlien and a Niklas Vesterlund strike stole all the points for Gaute Helstrup's team.
That defeat at Color Line Stadion last time out made it three straight losses for the Orange and Blue, leaving them with plenty of work to do to ensure their stay in the top tier of Norwegian football goes into a third year.
Christian Johnsen's men are bottom of the Eliteserien standings having collected just four points from their opening 11 fixtures - 13th-placed Valerenga have over double the points of Aalesund as the season's halfway point approaches.
A striking issue for the Tangoshirts so far has been their inability to score on a consistent basis, with Johnsen's charges managing only seven goals in 11 games, two fewer than any other outfit in the division.
Rosenborg may not be fearing relegation as much as their opponents on Sunday, but the once-perennial Eliteserien winners are enduring one of their toughest campaigns in recent times.
Svein Maalen's position as manager is now under intense scrutiny following a 3-0 loss against sixth-placed Sarpsborg 08 last Sunday at an angered Lerkendal Stadion.
A first-half capitulation saw Mikkel Maigaard, Eirik Wichne and Kristian Opseth all grab goals for the visitors, leaving the Troll Children with a mountain to climb in the second period - one which they were unable to conquer.
Rosenborg lie 11th in the Eliteserien standings having collected 13 points from their opening 12 matches, with third-placed Brann eight points ahead and 14th-placed Sandefjord only four behind.
The 26-time league winners have only managed to beat strugglers HamKam in the month of June, and it remains to be seen whether Maalen is still in the managerial hotseat when Rosenborg begin their Europa Conference League campaign against either Haka or Crusaders on July 27.
Team News
Aalesund are close to welcoming a long-term absentee back to first-team action, with attacker Alexander Ammitzboll targeting a return in early July after suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury in August 2022.
Ghanian Isaac Atanga has netted three of the Tangoshirts' seven Eliteserien goals this term, meaning the hosts will be desperate to have the 22-year-old back from a thigh issue as quickly as possible.
Rosenborg are set to be without one of their most experienced centre-backs for the remainder of the year after Markus Henriksen picked a knee injury in the loss against Sarpsborg - Maalen has commented that it is likely that the 30-year-old's season is over.
Henriksen joins fellow Scandinavian Jonathan Augustinsson in the Troll Children medical room, with the Swedish defender still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury picked up in September 2022.
Aalesund possible starting lineup:
Grytebust; Kolskogen, Fallman, Andersen; Munksgaard, Segberg, Hopland, Kitolano; Lunding, Karlsbakk, Kristensen
Rosenborg possible starting lineup:
Hansen; Reitan, Rogers, Jenssen, Tagseth; Skarsem, Vaananen, Skjelbred; Holse, Saeter, Ingason
We say: Aalesund 1-1 Rosenborg
Aalesund have failed to get going so far this term, but the visit of a Rosenborg side enduring a major crisis could be a perfect opportunity to earn three points.
The Troll Children need to start winning regularly in order to claw themselves back into the top-three race, but we envisage another disappointing weekend for Rosenborg supporters at Color Line Stadion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
