Hearts face up to a £3m European question in picturesque Trondheim against Rosenborg

Stakes are high for the Tynecastle club in Norway

Colourful and historic wooden stilt houses along Trondheim’s Nidelva river add typical Scandinavian character to a beautiful Norwegian viewpoint. Hearts fans wander across the Old Town Bridge admiring the scenery knowing their team has the potential to upset this rather serene city.

Any kind of result against Rosenborg in the Lerkendal Stadion on Thursday would be gladly received to take back to Edinburgh for next week’s return leg of the Europa Conference League third qualifying round. Hearts won’t face a full ground with less than 10,000 fans expected to attend, but this is no straightforward task against a team in the middle of their league season and finding form.

Trondheim’s people are friendly, vibrant and courteous, yet the Lerkendal is a footballing graveyard where many a European giant has fallen over the years. Sure, the 2023 Rosenborg squad may no longer contain star names like Siggi Rishfeldt, John Carew or even Harald Brattbakk. They are in the Conference League qualifiers and not the Champions League where they once struck fear into some of Europe’s finest. However, their muscles can flex and they have built momentum lately with five wins in their last six competitive fixtures.

Without recent signings Kyosuke Tagawa, Calem Nieuwenhof and Kenneth Vargas, who did not travel because of visa and work permit issues respectively, Hearts must ensure their attacks are incisive in Norway. They are likely to be without the ball for periods of the game and require pace to mount counter-attacks when the opportunity arises.

A considered but bold approach could unsettle the locals and disrupt this tranquil setting in Central Norway. “I think Rosenborg are in a false position in the league,” stated the Hearts head coach, Frankie McAvoy. “They are very quick and dynamic, playing 4-3-3 with a lot of rotations and movement. They are also undefeated in six games but we are prepared as best as we can. We want a really good structure out of possession and then be a threat going forward.

“This is our second competitive game. Rosenborg have had a couple of games in the Conference League and they are midway through their season. In terms of sharpness and fitness, they are probably ahead of us but there's no reason we can't come here and do extremely well.

“You can't get yourself too hyped up about the occasion. It's a big game, no doubt. We have set a few aims to hopefully qualify for the group stages and we will do our utmost to take a positive result back to a full house at Tynecastle. That can be a daunting place for anybody.

Trondheim is a picturesque city but Hearts are eager to make their mark. Pic: National World.

“We don't want to be over-confident. We are mindful we have a tough opponent here but we are in good shape. We have a hungry group, a competitive squad and we hope to do ourselves justice tomorrow night.”

No-one need tell Hearts that this version of Rosenborg does not hold the same level of intimidation as years gone by. “They aren't as good as previous teams. You walk down the tunnel and see their record in Europe, but they have a new manager in and started to do well,” said McAvoy.

“They played Scottish opposition before and know what they will be up against. We think we have a group that can cause teams problems. I think Rosenborg will be mindful of that. It's difficult to compare teams from before. What you need to deal with is the here and now. We are trying to do our utmost to topple Rosenborg and get to the next round in Europe.”

Achieve that aim and it’s a play-off against the winner of Hajduk Split v PAOK Salonika for the right to a place in the Conference League group phase. Hearts parachuted into that tournament last season after losing a Europa League play-off and pocketed more than £3million in profit as a result.

The question this year is whether they can progress through to rounds to reach the same stage and earn the same money again. “I think it's crucial we do our utmost to try and get into the group stages. It just shows you the importance of finishing third in the Premiership,” said McAvoy.

“Aberdeen have that chance to progress in their [Europa League] tie knowing they go into the group stages of the Conference League. We have an opportunity to progress to the next knockout stage and hopefully we are prepared to do our best.”

Lawrence Shankland, the Hearts captain, experienced last year’s European defeats against FC Zurich, Istanbul Basaksehir and Fiorentina. Wins over RFS of Latvia offered some consolation in what was the club’s first group-stage campaign since 2004.

“The key is to use the experiences that we have had before,” explained the striker. “Most of the squad which is with us in Norway was part of that European experience last season and we can dip into that if we need to. That will be good for us going forward. The journey to Norway wasn't too far, we arrived here today and we can now look forward to Thursday night.

“We come into this game and we look at Rosenborg as an individual team. We don't look at just their last game as it's difficult to compare teams from different countries. We have done our analysis on this team and we know where we can cause them problems. They are a good side and they are capable of causing us problems if we let them. It's up to us to be defensively solid and we can cause them problems going the other way.

“It's a qualification game for a big competition so of course there will be a competitive edge to it but I'm sure both teams will also look to play good football. We have watched clips of them and they are a good footballing side but so are we.”