Rosenborg tie for Linfield

The home tie is drwan for July 13 or 14 with the return leg July 20 or 21.

Rosenborg play at Lerkendal Stadium, Trondheim and head coach is Erik Hoftin.

It is a huge test for the Blues against a team which is the most successful in Norway and Scandinavia, and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s.

Rosenborg participated in the group phase of the Champions League eleven times in the twelve years between 1995 to 2006. Eight of them were consecutive (from 1995 to 2002), which was a record until 2004, when Manchester United qualified for the group phase for a ninth successive year.

Rosenborg have on two occasions managed to progress beyond the first group stage of the Champions League. In the 1996–97 season, they were heading for an early exit, but with A.C. Milan squandering valuable points, the stage was set for a deciding match at San Siro. Rosenborg defeated Milan 2–1, ousting the Italians and putting themselves in the quarter finals, where they lost 3–1 on aggregate against Juventus. In the 1999–00 season, Rosenborg won their group to secure a place in the second group stage. The most memorable game was away against Borussia Dortmund, who were defeated 3–0.

Other highlights include the 2–0 win versus Real Madrid and the 5–1 victory over Olympiacos, both in the 1997–98 season. There have also been some dismal performances, particularly against French teams. Rosenborg lost 0–5 to Lyon in 2002 and were crushed 2–7 by Paris Saint-Germain in 2000.