Rosenborg vs Man United Prediction: Betting Tips & Odds

Rosenborg and Manchester United meet in Trondheim on Saturday morning New Zealand time, with United continuing their Scandinavian pre-season tour after a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki last Saturday.

Michael Carrick lost his first game as permanent manager when Sam Smith tapped in from close range before half-time. It was a flat display against Championship opponents, and United will want a response here. 

In this Rosenborg vs Manchester United preview, I look at form and the squad situation ahead of this second tour stop. I’ve also got a goals-market pick at a decent price for anyone keen on football betting tips this week.

Rosenborg

Rosenborg are mid-season in the Eliteserien, and that gives them a clear advantage here. While United are still getting their legs under them, Rosenborg have been playing competitive football since March. Their two most recent league outings produced back-to-back 3-0 wins over Kristiansund and Start.

I wouldn’t read too much into those results on their own. Rosenborg are 10th out of 16 in the Eliteserien, and their season has been rough enough that Alfred Johansson was sacked after seven games. Alexander Tettey has taken charge on an interim basis, and the two big wins came under him.

Dino Islamovic is their main threat. He’s got nine goals across all competitions this season, and looked sharp across both of those victories. Lerkendal Stadion should be close to sold out for this one, and the fitness advantage is real.

Team News: Pereira and Svensson are both out injured.

Predicted Lineup: Wahlstedt; Witry, Nemcik, Volden, Mortensen; Bomholt, Vaananen; Emil Ceide, Fossum, Chiakha; Islamovic.

Manchester United

Things are on the up for United ended. They finished third in the Premier League last season under Carrick, and Champions League football is back at Old Trafford. The club has moved fast in the transfer window too, with Youri Tielemans arriving via a release clause from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos coming from Chelsea for around 48 million pounds. Both are significant additions.

Santos debuted against Wrexham, starting in midfield alongside Mason Mount. Tielemans hasn’t joined the tour yet. The World Cup has gutted this pre-season squad, and I don’t expect that to change here. Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez are still on post-tournament breaks. The side that took the pitch in Helsinki - Heaton in goal, Maguire and Yoro at the back, Santos and Mount through the middle - is broadly what Carrick will have to work with again.

Carrick used a full squad rotation at half-time against Wrexham, bringing on academy players for the entire second half. I’d expect a similar approach here.

Team News: Sesko and de Ligt are injured. Fernandes and Martinez are on post-World Cup rest. Tielemans has not yet joined the tour.

Predicted Lineup: Heaton; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Santos, Mount; Mbeumo, Fletcher, Dorgu; Zirkzee.

• Rosenborg won the only previous meeting between these sides 1-0 in July 2024.
• Man Utd lost their pre-season opener 1-0 to Wrexham on July 18.
• Rosenborg have won their last two Eliteserien games by a combined 6-0.
• Man Utd finished third in the Premier League with 71 points.
• Islamovic has scored nine goals across all competitions in the 2026 season.

I’m picking United to win, but I’m not especially confident about it. The Wrexham defeat was poor even by pre-season standards, and losing to a Championship side in Helsinki doesn’t inspire much faith in this make-shift squad.

Rosenborg’s fitness edge is a factor - they’re competitive-match sharp. United, meanwhile, are still working through their first week of training. Carrick will rotate freely again, and the second half could look very different from the first.

I still think United’s quality shines through eventually. Even without Fernandes, they’ve got Mbeumo and Santos in midfield, Dorgu out wide, Zirkzee up front. Against a side hovering in the lower reaches of the Norwegian top flight, that should be enough. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Rosenborg gave them a real contest, especially in the first half.

If you’re wanting to get involved on NZ betting sites, the goals angle is where I’d be looking. Both sides have reasons to attack, and Rosenborg won’t park themselves at home with a packed Lerkendal cheering them on.

Manchester United to Win and Over 2.5 Goals @ $2.80

United need to get the cobwebs out. They’ll be desperate to avoid back-to-back pre-season defeats, and Carrick has enough attacking talent in this group to put a few past a struggling Eliteserien defence.

Rosenborg will have a go. Their two most recent league games saw them score three apiece, and Islamovic is scoring consistently enough to fancy him troubling a United backline that’s still finding its combinations. 

I think United win this 3-1 or 2-1, and at $2.80 I’m comfortable with United to win and over 2.5 goals on the best legal betting sites in New Zealand.