Rosenborg resist to earn opening win at Rapid

Goalkeeper Daniel Örlund was the hero for Rosenborg BK, saving a penalty as his side earned a 2-1 win away against SK Rapid Wien.

Goals from Tarik Elyounoussi and captain Mikael Dorsin either side of half-time gave the visitors a commanding lead in Austria, before Markus Katzer pulled a goal back and Deni Alar had a spot-kick saved inside six frenetic second-half minutes.

Rapid started confidently, only for a lapse in concentration to cost them dearly as Daniel Fredheim Holm was played through on 19 minutes. Keeper Lukas Königshofer came out to smother and Gerson mopped up the loose ball, but the defender was promptly robbed of possession and Elyounoussi was able to curl in. The onus was now on the hosts, yet they were limited to mere half-chances for Katzer and Terrence Boyd in a subdued half.

A quarter of an hour after the break, Dorsin doubled the lead. The left-back burst forward, played a neat one-two with Elyounoussi and forced Königshofer into a smart save to win a corner – which he nodded in himself. Sparked into life, however, Rapid suddenly began to fight their way back, with Steffen Hofmann testing Örlund on 64 minutes and Katzer thumping in a header from Christopher Trimmel's corner two minutes later.

Then, on 70 minutes, the hosts were presented with a golden chance to level, as Cristian Gamboa sent Alar tumbling in the area. Alar stepped up himself, but Örlund was equal to it, leaving Alar and Rapid to ponder what might have been.