Atletico Madrid will be eyeing a top-eight finish in the Champions League when they host Bodo/Glimt on the final matchday of the league phase.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League when they square up against Norwegian giants Bodo/Glimt, who are aiming to secure a spot in the knockout rounds with a win.

The home side are 12th in the table with 13 points from seven outings, having won four, drawn one and lost two. After a poor start that saw them suffer consecutive defeats, Atletico went on to win three straight games before playing out a draw against Galatasaray last time out.

That result was a significant blow to their hopes of securing automatic qualification for the round of 16. Atletico are level on points with eighth-placed Chelsea and trail them by three goals in terms of goal difference, meaning a top-eight finish is still possible with a dominant home display.

Meanwhile, the visitors secured their first win of the ongoing Champions League campaign in their previous outing. That victory lifted them to 28th in the table with six points from seven matches, leaving them two points behind 24th-placed Olympiacos.

Not only do they need to win, but several results elsewhere must also go their way to secure a place in the knockout phase. Having defeated Manchester City last time out, Bodo/Glimt will certainly be confident heading into this clash against Atletico Madrid. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Atletico Madrid

Clement Lenglet is back fit for Atletico Madrid, but they did suffer a massive blow as Antoine Griezmann has picked up a muscle injury and could be out for a while. Apart from the veteran forward, everyone else is available for selection.

The hosts will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will take charge in goal. Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will feature as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, David Hancko will partner with Marc Pubill.

Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada could feature out wide on the flanks. They will provide support to the full-backs, as well as width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Pablo Barrios will partner with Koke in a more central role. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game. In the final third, Alexander Sorloth will start alongside Julian Alvarez.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Almada; Alvarez, Sorloth

Bodo/Glimt

The visitors will be without the services of Mikkel Bro Hansen (knee), Ulrik Saltnes, Daniel Bassi, and Haitam Aleesami (hamstring). The good news for Kjetil Knutsen is that they have no fresh injury concerns.

Given how impressive they were against Manchester City, the Bodo/Glimt head coach will be tempted to start with the exact XI against Atletico Madrid this week. The visitors will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Nikita Haikin will feature in goal. Fredrik Sjovold and Fredrik Bjorkan will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Odin Bjortuft will start alongside Jostein Gundersen.

As for the midfield unit, Patrick Berg will take up the holding role in the middle of the park, while Hakon Evjen and Sondre Brunstad Fet will be in his support. The trio will look to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not run the show.

Ole Didrik Blomberg and Jens Petter Hauge will feature on the flanks for the away team, while Kasper Hogh will lead the line for Bodo/Glimt against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Key Stats

• This is all set to be the first meeting between Atletico Madrid and Bodo/Glimt.
• Diego Simeone’s team have won all six of their games against Norwegian opponents.
• Atletico Madrid are one of only six teams with a perfect home record in the Champions League this term.
• Bodo/Glimt have failed to keep a clean sheet in the UEFA Champions League so far.
• Pablo Barrios is one of only three midfielders with 50+ line-breaking passes (62) and 50+ progressive carries (51) in the UEFA Champions League this season, along with Vitinha and Aleksandar Pavlovic.

Player to Watch

Julian Alvarez

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Alvarez will be the player to watch when Atletico Madrid take on Bodo/Glimt, given his strong output in the Champions League this season. The Argentine forward has featured in 29 matches across all competitions, contributing 11 goals and five assists, while his European numbers are even more impressive, with four goals and two assists in six Champions League outings.

Although he failed to score or register an assist against Galatasaray in Atletico Madrid’s last UEFA Champions League fixture, Alvarez will be eager to make amends and reassert his influence. His work rate, intelligent movement, and ability to impact the game in the final third of the pitch make him a constant threat.

Prediction

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Bodo/Glimt

Atletico Madrid will back themselves to deliver on the final matchday, especially with their perfect home record in the Champions League this season. Despite the absence of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Simeone’s side still possesses enough quality and experience to control proceedings, apply sustained pressure, and create chances against a Bodo/Glimt team that has struggled defensively in Europe.

The visitors will take confidence from their shock win over Manchester City and are capable of making this a competitive contest, particularly on the counter. However, with top-eight qualification still within reach, Atletico Madrid’s intensity and know-how at home should ultimately see them edge past the Norwegian giants in a closely fought encounter. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the home team.