Prelude to the Europa League Final

Four days later, on a rainy Thursday evening, the Troll Kids played their domestic season's sixth Tippeligaen game against Sogndal IL at an away ground. For that game, Coach Johansen exercised caution. He benched most of his star players, including Zachary, Takumi Minamino, Thomas Partey, Nicki Nielsen, Yerry Mina, Mikael Dorsin, and Eric Bailly. His intent was to let them rest and save their energy for the finals against Sevilla the following Thursday.

But even without the star players, Rosenborg still showcased class and skill on the pitch. The second-stringers played as if their lives were on the line and dominated proceedings from the first minute. By relying on short and precise passes, they hoarded most of the ball possession and sustained tremendous pressure on Sogndal. And as expected, their efforts soon bore fruit, and they created their first goal-scoring opportunity during the 27th minute.