Bodo/Glimt host English opposition Tottenham for their second UEFA Champions League game with the hope of getting a positive result on board.

Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen will have the chance to get a big result against a gigantic club of Tottenham’s stature in their UEFA Champions League group phase game. The Scandinavian side are familiar with the North Londoners’ game, having only met them in last season’s Europa League semi-finals over two legs.

While they lost those rounds of games, there must be some level of optimism in this one-off Champions League group phase clash, as Bodo/Glimt will look for revenge. Meanwhile, Knutsen’s charges opened their campaign in Europe’s premier competition on a positive note, following the eventful draw against Slavia Prague.

The ultimate goal for Bodo/Glimt would be to somehow finish under the 24th position, to stand a chance to make it to the round of 16 via a playoff. To have the chance to be in such a position, Knutsen’s men should aim for a positive result against Spurs, which will be crucial in the context of their chances of moving into the next round.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have made a fantastic start to life on their return to the Champions League. The North Londoners played at home in the opening game and came out as winners in their game against Villarreal. The Spanish side were the better performers, but Spurs held their own defensively to see out a narrow victory.

However, results in the Premier League continued to derail the early momentum gained through a good run at the start. Spurs needed an equaliser from midfielder Joao Palhinha to rescue a point against bottom-placed Wolves, who were seconds away from their first win of this season.

Moving away from domestic football, Spurs boss Thomas Frank will be eager to make a statement in the Champions League. For a team like Tottenham, finishing in the top eight will be a challenging task but not impossible, although they would need to win these games on the road to give themselves the best possible chance, especially given the quality of teams vying for a top-eight place.

Team News & Tactics

Bodo/Glimt

Kjetil Knutsen will miss Ulrik Saltnes through illness, while Brede Moe and Daniel Bassi could miss out after picking up problems during the weekend. Beyond that, there are no concerns in the squad, which could see the manager pick his strongest side to face Spurs.

Patrick Berg will at at the base of their midfield with Hakon Evjen and Sondre Auklend on either side. Andreas Helmersen will lead the line for Bodo/Glimt against Tottenham, with Mathias Jorgensen and Jens Petter Hauge on either wing of the front three.

Knutsen will field a back four of Fredrik Sjovold, Odin Bjortuft, Jostein Gundersen, and Magnus Riisnaes. This formation could be seen as a risky proposition as Spurs could pose trouble with their frontline.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Riisnaes; Evjen, Berg, Auklend; Jorgensen, Helmersen, Hauge

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank’s injury list is a long one, and the continued absence of key stars could bring the argument of fatigue if results do not come as planned. Apart from long-term absentees like Radu Dragusin, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski, there are others like Kota Takai and Yves Bissouma are also considered absent for this clash.

The concern is with Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke, who have looked closer to returning but have been unable to shake off their respective problems. The issue here is to overplay stars like Richarlison, who is already showing a visible dip in his performances after playing most games so far.

The Brazilian attacker is likely to start again and lead the line for Tottenham against Bodo/Glimt, while Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons will also start alongside Lucas Bergvall in the roles behind the striker.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr could handle the midfield setup, with a similar back four expected to play in a strong Spurs team. The only change at the back might be Pedro Porro coming in place of Djed Spence.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr; Kudus, Bergvall, Simons; Richarlison

Key Stats

• Bodo/Glimt are unbeaten in five games across all competitions.
• Tottenham have suffered only one defeat in their last 13 games in European competitions.
• Tottenham have won all six of their previous games against sides from Norway.
• Thomas Frank could become the first Tottenham manager to win his first two UEFA Champions League games in charge, with none of the previous four managing to do so (W1 D1 Harry Redknapp, W1 L1 Mauricio Pochettino, W1 L1 José Mourinho and W1 L1 Antonio Conte).
• Excluding own goals, five of Bodo/Glimt’s last 11 major European goals have been scored by substitutes. Sondre Fet and Daniel Bassi scored as a sub in the 2-2 draw against Slavia Prague, with Bodo/Glimt the first side to have two subs score in their first ever match in the UEFA Champions League.

Player to Watch

Richarlison

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The reformed striker had a good start to the campaign, but he has somewhat fallen off in recent weeks. One of the big issues is the availability of an alternative to the Brazilian, which has seen Richarlison start on most occasions under Thomas Frank so far.

With Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke closing in on their returns, there is an untold pressure on Richarlison to perform to a certain level. Should he continue to show a dip in his form, Frank could use one of his other forwards in his role soon, which may then cause problems for the Brazilian to cement a starting role for Spurs moving forward.

Prediction

Bodo/Glimt 1-3 Tottenham

Bodo/Glimt did have a positive start to life in the UEFA Champions League with a draw to Slavia Prague, but the proposition of getting something similar against Tottenham Hotspur might prove challenging. Kjetil Knutsen’s side could put up a fight to a certain degree, but they are the underdogs in this clash.

As for Tottenham, not only do they boast a favourable record against teams from the Scandinavian country, they also beat Bodo/Glimt as recently as four months ago. The quality at Thomas Frank’s disposal will make it difficult to look beyond Tottenham. Spurs are the overwhelming favourites for all three points, and they will win in a comfortable way.