Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting Champions League preview, team news and prediction

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Norwegian underdogs Bodo/Glimt continue their remarkable Champions League adventure on Wednesday as they host Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at Aspmyra Stadion.

Glimt have been the surprise package of the competition, making headlines with a string of giant-killing performances in their debut Champions League campaign. After going unbeaten in their final three league-phase games—including a draw at Borussia Dortmund and wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid—they secured a playoff spot, finishing 23rd in the 36-team table.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side then stunned last season’s runners-up Inter Milan, winning 3-1 at home before sealing a 2-1 victory at San Siro, becoming the first Norwegian club to win a Champions League knockout tie and to record four consecutive wins in the competition proper. Their impressive European home form—12 wins in their last 17 matches at Aspmyra—gives them confidence heading into this tie.

Glimt arrive in strong form, having just beaten Molde 2-1 to reach the Norwegian Cup quarter-finals and extend their unbeaten run to nine games, with seven straight victories. With no weekend fixture, they come into the midweek clash well-rested and motivated after narrowly missing out on the Eliteserien title.

Sporting Lisbon, meanwhile, secured direct entry to the last 16 after finishing seventh in the league phase, highlighted by wins over PSG and Athletic Bilbao. They remain unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions (W10, D2), though they were held to a 2-2 draw at Braga on Saturday after conceding a stoppage-time penalty.

Despite their strong domestic and European form, Sporting’s away record in the Champions League knockout rounds is poor—they haven’t won an away tie at this stage or beyond in 15 attempts since 2005 (D6, L9). Past round-of-16 exits, including heavy defeats to Bayern Munich and Manchester City, suggest they could face a tough challenge in Norway on Wednesday.

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Glimt have a full squad available for this match, with no suspensions, though midfielders Sondre Auklend and Patrick Berg are one yellow card away from a ban. Manager Knutsen has fielded the same starting XI in the last four European games and is expected to do so again, with Ole Didrik Blomberg, Kasper Hogh, and Jens Petter Hauge leading the attack. Hauge, who has netted six goals in 10 Champions League appearances—including three in his last two home games—will look to continue his scoring streak.

For Sporting, Suarez has found the net in each of his last five matches and will be a key figure up front. The visitors remain without Geovany Quenda (foot), while Giorgi Kochorashvili, Ricardo Mangas, and Fotis Ioannidis are also doubts due to ongoing fitness issues. Additionally, left-back Maximiliano Araujo and midfielder Pedro Goncalves are suspended after accumulating too many bookings.

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