Prediction: Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP

Prediction: Bodo/Glimt to win 2-1

Best Odds: 8/1

Bookmaker: Zetbet

Bodo/Glimt and Sporting CP will lock horns in the UEFA Champions League this week. The first leg of the last-16 tie between the Norwegian Eliteserien club and the Portuguese Primeira Liga side will be held at the Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday.

Bodo/Glimt

Bodo/Glimt are one of the biggest clubs in Norway and have a history of playing in European competitions. Kjetil Knutsen’s side won the Eliteserien title last season and needed to go through the qualifiers to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Superlaget finished seventh in the League Phase of the UEFA Champions League and took on Inter Milan in the Knockout Round. Inter were favourites to go through, but Bodo/Glimt won both legs 5-2 on aggregate.

Bodo/Glimt will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Sporting CP this week on the back of a 2-1 victory over Molde away from home in the Norwegian Cup. It came after a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan away from home at San Siro in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Knockout Round tie, which came after a 3-1 win against the Italian club in the first leg at home.

Team News:

Bodo/Glimt are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Sporting CP. Nikita Haykin will be in goal for the Norwegian club and will have Fredrik Sjovold, Odin Bjortuft, Jostein Gundersen and Fredrik Andre Bjorkan in front of him in defence. Hakon Evjen, Patrick Berg and Sondre Brunstad Fet will be the three midfielders. Ole Didrik Blomberg, Kasper Hogh and Jens Petter Hauge will be the three forwards.

Sporting CP

Sporting CP are one of the biggest and most historic clubs in Portugal. They won the Portuguese league title last season and are aiming to do the same this time around, and have also progressed to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Rui Borges’s side are second in the Liga Portugal table at the moment. Sporting have picked up 62 points from 25 matches and are four points behind leaders FC Porto.

Sporting CP will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Bodo/Glimt this week on the back of a 2-2 draw with Braga away from home in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. It came after a 1-0 victory over FC Porto in front of their fans in Taca de Portugal, which followed a 3-0 win against Estoril at Estádio José Alvalade in the league.

Team News:

Sporting CP are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Rui Silva will be in goal for the Portuguese giants and will have Ivan Fresneda, Ousmane Diomande, Goncalo Inacio and Maximiliano Araujo in front of him in defence. Morten Hjulmand and Hidemasa Morita will be the two holding midfielders. Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincao and Pedro Goncalves will be the three attacking midfielders. Luis Suarez will lead the line for Sporting CP.

Key Factors to Consider

• This will be the first meeting between Bodo/Glimt and Sporting CP
• Bodo/Glimt are the first Norwegian team to win four successive matches in the Champions League proper.
• Bodo/Glimt are the first team from outside of Europe’s top five leagues to win four straight games in a European Cup season against opponents from those leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France) since Ajax in 1971-72.
• Sporting CP have won four of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
• Sporting CP have drawn one of their last 5 matches in all competitions.

Conclusion

Bodo/Glimt have been the surprise package of the UEFA Champions League this season and will fancy their chances of winning against Sporting CP over two legs in the Round of 16. It is very likely that the Norwegian club will eke out a narrow win.

Prediction: Bodo/Glimt to win 2-1

Best Odds: 8/1

Bookmaker: Zetbet