Week 3 Rosenborg v Chelsea 28th November 2007 WINNER!!

Balance
Loss €55

Result Arsenal 2 (Gallas 83,Rosicky85) Wigan 0

The Gunner's left it very late on Saturday with Rosicky guaranteeing some payback(€45) when he made it 2-0 late on.This was after captain William Gallas scored Arsenal's 600th premiership home goal. Chelsea famously accused Gallas of threatening to deliberately score own goals if he wasn't allowed to leave after a contract dispute.The only own goal that was scored was by Chelsea;letting him go to one of their main rivals.
Chelsea without Gallas this week travel to Trondheim(Gilroys goodtimes)to take on Rosenborg in the Champions League.I'm going for a handicap bet again with €50 on Chelsea -1 at 11/8.With the Norwegian League finished since the 3rd November I'm hoping Rosenborg are a little rusty.Chelsea seem to have settled into their stride under Grant and have won three out of their last four league games by 2 goals or more.John Terry back fit is also a plus.
If I was to go on past games against Norwegian opposition I probably wouldn't be on this bet. Chelsea have actually lost two matches to Norwegian teams in Europe .The first was in the 97-98 Cup Winners Cup winning season against Tromso when they lost 3-2 in the home leg but hammered the Gutans(the boys) 7-1 in the return to make the quarter finals.On the way to the final that year they also beat Slovan Bratislava,Real Betis and Vicenzia.A Zola goal in Stockholm against Stuttgart won the final.
The following year they didn't retain the trophy but did beat Oslo side Valerenga in the quarter finals 6-2 .They have been knocked out of Europe by Viking FK in the 02-03 UEFA Cup first round losing 4-5 on aggregate after winning the home leg 2-1,Vikings most famous European victory.
You see there haven't been many Norwegian club victories over English teams in Europe down the years.There has been a few draws and a number of heavy defeats.Rosenborg beat Southampton 1-0 in a home leg in the Fairs Cup in 1969 but went out on aggregate and that has been it.The same has been the case on the national team scene with few victories against the English whom the Norwegians have always considered to be one of the best in the world.So for a country obsessed by the English league a victory over the Three Lions is huge.The greatest victory over the English has to be in 1993 when they beat them 2-0 to qualify for USA 94 but the most memorable was in September 1981 when Norway bet England in a World Cup qualifier 2-1. Nobody remembers the goalscorers but everyone remembers the famous speech from Norwegian commentator Bjorge Lillelien.Here it is translated in all its glory!

"We are best in the world! We are best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 in football!! It is completely unbelievable! We have beaten England! England, birthplace of giants. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana--we have beaten them all. We have beaten them all. Maggie Thatcher can you hear me?"
"Maggie Thatcher, I have a message to you during your election campaign. I have a message to you: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!"


Priceless.
That's all history though,hopefully Chelsea get the win they need on Wednesday and do it comfortably to send me into profit.

STATS
Chelsea against Norwegian opposition
P 7 W4 D1 L2 F20 A12

TRIVIA
Rosenborg 13 League titles in a row is second in the world to which team,who won 14 in a row?
Last weeks answer West Ham.