Bodo/Glimt will look to make history as they welcome Austrian champions Sturm Graz to the Aspmyra Stadion on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League playoff round tie.
Bodo’s recent dominance of Norwegian football continued last season, as they clinched their second successive Eliteserien title and their fourth in five years, finishing three points clear of nearest-challengers Brann.
Kjetil Knutsen’s men suffered a slow start to this campaign for their standards, winning just four of their opening seven Eliteserien fixtures (W4-D1-L2), but seven wins from their last eight have seen them go top of the table, above Viking on goal difference.
Bodo made it all the way to the Europa League semi-finals last season, but are now aiming to make it to the Champions League proper for the first time in their history.
Sturm Graz were in the Champions League league phase last year, as they won their second consecutive Austrian Bundesliga title.
Jurgen Samuel’s visitors have won both of their away matches in the Bundesliga this season, defeating LASK and Ried, but a home loss to Rapid Vienna means Die Schwoazn are in sixth position in the table, just a point off top.
How the bookies view it: Bodo favourites
Bodo/Glimt have been installed as favourites to take a lead to Austria next week, with BoyleSports pricing the Norwegian champions at just 8/15.
Sturm Graz are 16/5 underdogs to win on the night, whilst the draw is 10/3.
Head to head: First-ever meeting
This match on Wednesday will be the first-ever meeting between these two clubs.
Players to watch: Hogh to hit the target again?
Kasper Hogh has been in scintillating form for Bodo this campaign, firing in 16 goals in 19 appearances in the Eliteserien, with eight coming across his previous eight matches. The Norwegian frontman also scored seven goals in the Europa League season, and is an appealing 11/10 at PaddyPower to net here.
Predicted line-ups:
Bodo will be without the injured duo of Jostein Gundersen and Ole Didrik Blomberg.
Sturm Graz will once again be without Daniil Khudyakov, Alexandar Berkovic and Axel Kayombo through injury.
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Bjorkan, Berg, Evjen, Saltnes, Maatta, Hauge, Hogh
Sturm Graz: Christensen, Johnston, Oermann, Lavalee, Karic, Stankovic, Horvat, Chukwuani, Kiteishvili, Boving, Grgic
Anything else catch the eye?
Bodo made it all the way to the Europa League semi-finals last season, with that run aided by their strong home form.
The Norwegians were victorious in six of their home fixtures (W6-D0-L2), scoring multiple goals in each of those wins, and a repeat appeals here against a Sturm side that lost all four Champions League away matches last season, shipping 11 goals.
Goals are generally a feature of Glimt’s matches, with the Norwegian champions only keeping three clean sheets across their previous 19 continental clashes, so I like the look of Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals at 4/5 at Bet365.
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