PSV Eindhoven begin their Europa League campaign with a Group A clash with Bodo/Glimt on Thursday. The Dutch side have the superior quality in this one and should have the upper hand, although the attacking talents on both sides means there could be goals in this one.
PSV are in the group stage of the Europa League after falling to Rangers in the Champions League playoffs. They failed to progress to the knockout phase of last season’s edition and will be aiming for some improvement this time around.
The Dutch giants are coming off their first Eredivisie defeat of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by FC Twente last Saturday. They went into the break 2-0 down and despite pulling one back through Guus Til, failed to complete the comeback.
The good news for PSV is that they have generally been in good form this season, and have claimed four straight wins prior to their defeat at Twente. Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s men have also maintained a solid home record, winning five of their last six matches across all competitions at Philips Stadion.
Bodo/Glimt have been on the rise in European football lately and were one of the surprise teams in the inaugural Conference League last season. They are in the group stage of the Europa League after losing to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League playoffs.
The Norwegians are also coming off a defeat as they were beaten 4-1 at home by Molde last Saturday. Having fought back from a goal down through Isak Amundsen on the stroke of halftime, they suffered a defensive capitulation and were breached three times.
That result is a pointer to Bodo/Glimt’s form in recent weeks as they have claimed just one win from their last four matches across all competitions. Kjetil Knutsen’s men have also struggled on their travels in Europe this season, losing three of their four away matches in the Champions League qualifiers.
How the bookies view it
PSV Eindhoven are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 4/1 by BetVictor to claim the win. A victory for Bodo/Glimt is valued at 7/1 by William Hill while SBK is offering odds of 23/5 for a draw.
Head to head
This will be the first ever meeting between PSV Eindhoven and Bodo/Glimt.
Players to watch
PSV Eindhoven’s decision to hold on to Cody Gakpo amidst lots of interest in the transfer market appears to be yielding benefits. The forward has six goals in five Eredivisie matches and is priced at 7/5 by Paddy Power to find the net on Thursday.
Bodo/Glimt also have attacking quality of their own, particularly in Amahl Pellegrino, who has been on fire all season. The striker has eight goals in his last 10 matches across all competitions and is valued at 13/5 by Unibet to get on the score sheet.
Anything else catch the eye?
PSV are expected to earn a comfortable win on Thursday and could be backed in the -1 handicap market at evens with Paddy Power. With both teams favouring an attacking style, over 3.5 goals can also be considered at 59/50 by Unibet.
PSV Eindhoven have scored in both halves in two of their last three matches and are priced at 10/11 by Coral for a repeat on Thursday.
This UEFA Europa League match between PSV Eindhoven and Bodo/Glimt will be played on Sep 8, 2022 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best PSV Eindhoven vs Bodo/Glimt prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
