Slavia Prague will make their official return to the Champions League proper after six years and will face Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, who will make their debut in the competition.
The Cervenobili spent a few seasons away from the top tier, most recently playing in the Europa League last season. But winning their eight domestic title sent them straight to the League Phase and they will hope to translate their phenomenal form to the big stage. Slavia Prague are unbeaten in the Czech Chance Liga this season after eight rounds, winning six times. Their attacking form is noteworthy, as they average two goals per match. The first task is to win a home match in the UCL, as they finished their last UEL league phase without a win in Prague.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt have become a fan favourite of neutral fans over the last few years, overachieving season after season. In 2021/22, they reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League, then the knockout stage in 2023/24. And last season, they reached as far as the semi-finals of the Europa League before Tottenham blew them out with 5-1 on aggregate. After five years of unexpected achievements, Bodo/Glimt stunned Sturm Graz in the CL qualification play-offs, and will make their inaugural appearance among the elite.
How the bookies view it: A sad debut for the Norwegians
Bookmakers expect Slavia Prague to have a blast on their return to the Champions League, giving them 3/4 to win. Bodo/Glimt have never played at this level and their negative away record from last season’s edition of the Europa League leaves much to be desired. You can currently back them at 16/5, while the draw is available at 3/1.
Recent head-to-head: First clash between a Czech and a Norwegian team
While both sides have been playing in UEFA’s competitions almost every year for a while, they have never met in an official setting. There is also no previous case of a Czech and Norwegian teams meeting H2H in the Champions League, so this will be one for the books.
Players to watch: Chory is ready to carry out punishments
Slavia Prague’s Tomas Chory has served a long-lasting suspension due to his red card against Slovacko in early August, missing the last five domestic games for the team. He is, however, available for this CL tie and should be hungry for action. He played for the Czech Republic during the international break, scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia in a friendly match.
Last season, he delivered most of Slavia’s goals in Europe, scoring twice in the Champions League and four times in the Europa League. Right now, you can grab £50 in free bets from our Betfred Promo Code and use them to back Chory to score at 1/2.
Probable line-ups
Slavia Prague: Stanek, Holes, Zima, Chaloupek, Zmrzly, Provod, Dorley, Hashioka, Vorlicky, Chory, Zafeiris
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Riisnaes, Gundersen, Bjortuft, Sjovold, Auklend, Berg, Evjen, Jorgensen, Hauge, Helmersen
Anything else catch the eye?
Both sides are known for their strong performances at home, but Bodo/Glimt have also left an impression, albeit a negative one, with their away games. Superlaget won only one of their eight away games in the Europa League last season, losing five times. They also lost to Sturm Graz in the qualification play-offs and made it this far through a phenomenal home performance.
This is a very difficult match to predict and we see the teams as mostly equal in strength. But Bodo will have to manage without a whole bunch of their usual starters, including Blomberg, Bjorkan, Hogh, Saltnes, Brynhildsen, and Maatta. These absentees will make the trip to Prague much more difficult, and while we expect them to score, we will back Slavia Prague to win 2-1.
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