Bodo/Glimt host Zalgiris in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third round qualifier on Wednesday. Both teams are already deep into their domestic campaigns but the hosts have more experience in European competition than their rivals and should do enough to claim a solid first leg advantage.
Bodo/Glimt played in the inaugural Europa Conference League last season where they were one of the surprise teams. They began with an impressive 6-1 victory over Roma and progressed all the way to the quarter finals before the Italian giants got their revenge.
The Norwegians will be looking to harness that performance in the Champions League and at least reach the group stage of the competition. It has been a smooth ride so far for Kjetil Knutsen’s men as they thrashed Linfield 8-1 on aggregate to reach the third round of the competition.
There has been a swagger about Bodo/Glimt lately, particularly at home where they have won their last five matches across all competitions. Their two home wins in the Champions League have been pretty one-sided, claiming a 3-0 victory over Ki in the first round before easing past Linfield 8-0 in the previous round.
It has been a fine campaign so far for Zalgiris, who have only suffered two defeats from their last 26 matches across all competitions. That run has put them one point clear at the top of the Lithuanian league while also one step away from reaching the playoffs of the Champions League.
The good news for Zalgiris is that they appear to be successfully transmitting their domestic dominance into the Champions League. They were particularly impressive in the previous round after doing the double over the more experienced Swedish side Malmo.
Although Zalgiris claimed a 2-0 victory in Sweden in the previous round, they often find things difficult on their travels. That result ended a run of two away matches without a win for Vladimir Cheburin’s men, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Kosovar side Ballkani in the previous round.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Bodo/Glimt as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 1/4 by Sport Nation. A victory for Zalgiris is valued at 16/1 by William Hill while a draw is set at odds of 9/2 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
Bodo/Glimt have never lost to Zalgiris, claiming two wins and a draw from three previous matches. The two wins have come at Aspmyra Stadion with the most recent meeting a 1-0 victory in last year’s Europa Conference League.
Players to watch
Bodo/Glimt have looked imperious in attack at home where they put eight past Linfield in the previous round. Amahl Pellegrino and Victor Boniface have already scored a combined 19 goals this season and can ensure the Norwegians find the net on Wednesday at 1/50.
Bodo/Glimt have been just as impressive defensively, keeping clean sheets in four of their last five home matches across all competitions. Marius Hoibraten and Alfons Sampsted often feature at centre-back and can lead the Norwegians to another clean sheet at 3/4 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given Bodo/Glimt’s recent defensive record at home, A win to nil could be on the cards at 20/21 with BoyleSport. Their attacking quality means a -2 handicap could also be on the cards at 19/10 with BoyleSports.
Bodo/Glimt are expected to be dominant on Wednesday and could be backed to win both halves at 13/8 with Unibet.
This UEFA Champions League match between Bodo/Glimt and Zalgiris will be played on Aug 3, 2022 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Bodo/Glimt vs Zalgiris prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
