Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Europa League clash between Bodo/Glimt and Olympiacos, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt will head on their travels for Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg against Greek giants Olympiacos.
The hosts negotiated a knockout round playoff tie against Twente, while Olympiacos advanced straight to the last 16 courtesy of their top-eight finish in the league phase.
Match preview
© Imago
Bodo/Glimt are competing in the knockout rounds of a European competition for the fourth season in a row after they finished in ninth position in the league phase.
Unfortunately for the Norwegian side, they missed out on a top-eight finish on goal difference, meaning they had to negotiate knockout round playoff tie against Twente.
They looked to be heading out of the competition when they entered the closing stages of the second leg with a 3-2 deficit, before stoppage time produced three dramatic goals, with Bodo/Glimt scoring twice before Twente found an equaliser to send the tie to extra-time.
As it proved, Kjetil Knutsen‘s side outlasted their opponents, scoring two extra-time goals to clinch a 6-4 aggregate victory, setting up a last-16 tie with Olympiacos for a place in the quarter-finals against either Viktoria Plzen and Olympiacos.
With their domestic campaign yet to get underway, Bodo/Glimt have had plenty of time to prepare for Thursday’s first leg, with the hosts looking to extend their three-game winning home run in the Europa League.
In fact, they have won four of their last five European home matches (D1), scoring at least three goals in regulation time in three of those victories.
© Imago
Olympiacos are dreaming of more success in UEFA competition after they went all the in last season’s Conference League to become the first Greek team to win a major European trophy.
Jose Luis Mendilibar has experience of winning the Europa League after he guided Sevilla to the trophy in 2022-23, meaning he is now looking to claim European silverware for the third consecutive season.
The Olympiacos boss would have been pleased with his side’s work in the league phase, overseeing four wins, three draws and one defeat to secure a seventh-place finish and automatic qualification for the last 16.
They will certainly head into Thursday’s first with significant momentum after winning each of their last four competitive matches, including back-to-back wins over rivals AEK Athens.
Mendilibar’s charges recorded a 6-0 win in the home leg of their Greek Cup semi-final against AEK, before they claimed a 1-0 away victory in Sunday’s league derby, moving them five points clear at the top of the table.
Olympiacos will be confident of producing a strong defensive display in Norway, having kept clean sheets in each of their previous three European away matches (W2, D1).
Bodo/Glimt Europa League form:
Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):
Olympiacos Europa League form:
Olympiacos form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
January additions Ole Didrik Blomberg and Jens Petter Hauge were added to Bodo/Glimt’s Europa League squad ahead of the playoff rounds
Blomberg and Hauge are expected to operate either side of striker Kasper Hogh, who has scored four goals in eight Europa League appearances this season.
Fredrik Bjorkan, Patrick Berg and Jostein Gundersen are all walking a disciplinary tightrope, with the trio all one yellow card away from missing the return leg in Greece.
As for the visitors, they are expected to be without midfielder Andre Horta and forward Ayoub El Kaabi after the pair missed Sunday’s win over AEK due to injury.
Horta is one of three January additions that have been added to Olympiacos’ Europa League squad, along with Bruno Onyemaechi and Luis Palma.
Panagiotis Retsos, David Carmo and Dani Garcia have all picked up two yellow cards in the main draw, meaning they are all one booking away from being hit with a one-match suspension.
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Halkin; Sjovold, Gundersen, Nielsen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Saltnes; Blomberg, Hauge, Hogh
Olympiacos possible starting lineup:
Tzolakis; Rodinei, Biancone, Carmo, Ortega; Hezze, Garcia; Martins, Chiquinho, Palma; Kostoulas
We say: Bodo/Glimt 1-1 Olympiacos
Bodo/Glimt will feel they need to establish a first-leg lead ahead of next week’s trip to Greece, but we think they may be held to a draw by an Olympiacos side that have avoided defeat in each of their last 26 competitive matches since losing to Asteras Tripolis in October.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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