Rosenborg revel in Valencia double

Rosenborg BK's triumphant players say the appointment of new coach Trond Henriksen, who replaced Knut Tørum after Matchday 3, has given them an important boost but feel a switch to a more attacking formation lies behind the two victories that have given them a real chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time.

European delight
The 2006 Norwegian champions finished a disappointing fifth in the Tippeligaen this season but are thriving at Europe's top table, drawing away against Chelsea FC and now posting back-to-back wins against Valencia CF. "This was a better performance than the victory in Trondheim two weeks ago," said Bjørn Tore Kvarme who along with captain Vidar Riseth did so much to help protect the two-goal advantage given to them by Steffen Iversen's predatory powers. "We have changed the system and in the UEFA Champions League we seem to get more space. Changing coaches has provided a psychological boost and given us extra motivation," Kvarme added.

New formation
Riseth said the switch from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 formation means that it is easier "to find the strikers". "It also helps that the new coach is a former Rosenborg player so that has had an important psychological effect," he said. "We also have more experience of the UEFA Champions League now. Hopefully it will work again [at home] against Chelsea [on Matchday 5] where we will look to pick up another three points."

Iversen double
The sides meet in three weeks' time when a home victory would see Rosenborg rise to the top of section with just one fixture remaining. At the Mestalla Stadium, Iversen scored on the half-hour following a swift turn and then was on hand to put away a simple header following a corner in the second half. "The big change has been with the system we use," he said. "With two strikers we play more football and can find more space."

Valencia despair
While Rosenborg celebrated, Valencia ended their first game under new coach Ronald Koeman in deep despair, with a third successive Group B defeat being described by captain David Albelda as "another crash". He said: "You look for an explanation but there isn't one. It's really hard for us to win at home but we have to work to find a way to do it."

'Poor morale'
Striker David Villa called for the team to stay together despite the pain of this latest setback, which has left them bottom of the section with three points. "We have to work to win the next two matches and then wait for the other sides' results," he said. "The players have poor morale at the moment because this competition is really important and fun to play in."