Celtic take on Rosenborg in their first Europa League Group B game at Parkhead on Thursday night.

The clubs are no strangers to each other with their most recent meeting earlier in the season.

Here, SportTimes takes a closer look at the Norwegian outfit:

MANAGER

Rini Coolen was appointed interim manager of Rosenborg in July after Kare Ingebrigtsen was sacked six days before the Norwegian club faced Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers.

Ingebrigtsen joined fans on stage as they held a rally outside the club's stadium in support of him while Coolen, the club's academy director, prepared for the trip to Glasgow.

The Dutchman, who played as a defender for Go Ahead Eagles and Heracles, saw his side lose 3-1 in the first-leg before ultimately losing the tie but he has not suffered a defeat since, which has quelled the unrest among disgruntled fans.

FORM

Rosenborg's form is impressive and they sit top of the Eliteserien, two points clear of Brann after 22 games.

Coolen's side are unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions since the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at Celtic Park on July 25 and they snatched a 3-2 win at Valerenga on Sunday with a stoppage-time goal by Issam Jebali.

With seven straight wins in all competitions, Rosenborg will travel to Glasgow with confidence albeit they have not won in six visits to Scotland.

RECENT MEETINGS

This will be the third time in just over a year that these two sides have faced each other.

Celtic came out on top in both of their recent duels, winning 1-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round of the Champions League last season before following that up with a 3-1 aggregate win in the second qualifying round of the same tournament this summer, only to lose to AEK Athens in the next round.

After losing out to Celtic, the Norwegian side won all four of their Europa League qualifiers against Cork City and Shkendija to secure a second successive season in the group stage.

Overall, the Scottish champions have won five and drawn two of their eight matches against Rosenborg and are unbeaten at home in the fixture.

TOP TALENT

Nicklas Bendtner is the best known of the Rosenborg players but the 30-year-old former Arsenal striker is reportedly struggling with injury.

Fellow Denmark international Mike Jensen is an integral part of the side.

The 30-year-old midfielder, who started his career at Brondby IF where his father Henrik Jensen both played and managed, is a leader and a certain pick.

He often plays in front of two holding midfielders and gives Rosenborg different attacking options.

LINKS BETWEEN THE CLUBS

There are strong links between the two clubs.

Two of Celtic's current squad, Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa, have played for Rosenborg.

The Swedish international defender was at the Norwegian club between 2008 and 2012, winning two league titles, while Costa Rica full-back Gamboa was there between 2012 and 2014.

Former Rosenborg striker Harald Brattbakk is remembered for scoring Celtic's second goal against St Johnstone to seal the 1997/98 Premiership title and defy Rangers' bid for 10-in-a-row. Former defender Vidar Riseth and Hellas Verona midfielder Liam Henderson have also played for both clubs.