Both in search of their first victories in this season’s Champions League league phase, Bodo/Glimt and Monaco will lock horns at Aspmyra Stadion on Tuesday evening for matchday four action.
More like a pursuit of a historic triumph for the debutant hosts, it has been quite a decent start to life in the elite by their standards.
Not the least rated among the 36 teams involved, Bodo began with a spirited 2-2 draw away at Slavia Prague, where they came from two goals down, before taking another point against Tottenham Hotspur on matchday two, although their own lapse from a two-goal lead proved costly.
It was always a question of when the Norwegians would taste defeat, but there is little shame in falling 3-1 to an in-form Galatasaray side in Istanbul, a result that left Kjetil Knutsen’s men 26th in the league phase standings with two points.
Bodo enter Tuesday’s clash on the back of a 3-1 league defeat to Valerenga at the weekend, marking only their second loss in their last 12 outings across all competitions, and with seven victories in that stretch, it might not be far-fetched to believe the debutants could dream of their first Champions League win.
Right below the hosts in the standings, Monaco have also collected two points from their opening three games but sit 27th due to an inferior goal difference.
By their own standards, that is far from ideal for the 2003-04 finalists, who reached the play-off stage last term, though a sluggish start this time around has cast doubts on their prospects of reaching the knockouts again.
A humiliating 4-1 defeat away at Club Brugge was never the best way to begin their campaign, while a 2-2 home draw against Manchester City offered signs of improvement, though another stalemate at Stade Louis II versus Tottenham felt more like a setback considering their position on the log.
Monaco approach this fixture following another underwhelming result at home, having fallen 1-0 to newly promoted Paris FC in Ligue 1, a result that ended a six-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (W2, D4).
How the bookies view it: Not much separating the sides
Bodo are priced at 11/8 to win, an implied probability of 42.1%, which edges just above Monaco’s 37.0% chance at 17/10, indicating a highly competitive contest with little separating the two teams. A draw is priced at 13/5.
Head to Head: First-time meeting
This will be the first-ever meeting between Bodo/Glimt and Monaco, which comes as no surprise since this is the hosts’ first campaign in UEFA’s top-flight club competition.
Players to watch: Second-half king Ansu Fati to rediscover scoring touch?
Only a few weeks ago, Ansu Fati made headlines in French media for his blistering run of six goals in five games, five of which came after the break, yet the Barcelona loanee has since struggled to replicate that form, going three starts without a goal and making only substitute appearances in the last two matches, so all eyes will be on him as he seeks to reignite his spark.
The hosts, on the other hand, will look to Hakon Evjen’s industriousness at Aspmyra, with the midfielder contributing three goals in his last three home appearances (G1, A2), including two assists against Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Monaco’s George Ilenikhena could become the youngest African player to reach 15 Champions League appearances, surpassing Nwankwo Kanu, who achieved the feat at 19 years and 260 days.
Probable line-ups
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Sjovold, Bjortuft, Nielsen, Maatta, Klynge, Berg, Fet; Auklend, Helmersen, Hauge
Monaco: Kohn, Kehrer, Salisu, Henrique, Diatta, Teze, Golovin, Ouattara, Akliouche, Minamino, Balogun
Anything else catch the eye?
Bodo boast an excellent home record on the continental stage, winning 10 of their last 13 European matches in front of their fans (D1, L2), and they will hope to make that count again.
Equally impressive is their attacking record, having found the net at least twice in 10 of their last 15 group stage or league phase fixtures, while failing to score in only one of their last 19 European outings.
Monaco, in contrast, have won just one of their last nine Champions League games (D3, L5) and none of the most recent six (D3, L3), drawing the last two.
The Ligue 1 side have also struggled away from home, losing their last three league phase matches on the road by three-goal margins, so this encounter hardly feels one from which they will take much, though a draw could still be a fair outcome.
As for the card market, more than 3.5 cards have been shown in two of Bodo’s Champions League games, with the same applying to Monaco, making that selection a value pick.
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