Bodø/Glimt’s last Champions League season started terribly. They were roundly tipped to be one of the worst teams of the League Phase and the results of their first six matches certainly lived up to those expectations, as the team failed to win a single match. Their domestic season then ended and the players were kept from their vacation to participate in the last two matches of the League Phase. Most expected Bodø/Glimt to suffer ignominious defeats in the matches at home against Manchester City
and away to Atlético Madrid, which would send the players to the beach.
But those people may not have paid attention to the green shoots of promise that had been blooming throughout the campaign, with the Norwegian team desperately unlucky to not win against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund. Those shoots then bloomed into real results as they dominated both Manchester City and Atlético Madrid to improbably snatch one of the last playoff spots available.They then, in turn, dominated the majority of the tie over two legs against Inter Milan before finally losing to Sporting CP in the Round of 16.
Beating such prestigious opposition is sure to have given Bodø/Glimt some real confidence. So perhaps that is why Kjetil Knutsen, their head coach, is so excited to face a team which he says is at the pinnacle of world football.
“In my opinion, we’ll face the best team in the world tomorrow. That’s perfect because we’ll know where we really stand,” Knutsen followed up in the press conference ahead of the clash against Bayern (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We watched back their games against PSG, and that didn’t give me any more confidence. But at the same time I was incredibly inspired, because they have top-class players. Players who also invest in the team and put in hard work. It’s a great test for us.”
Bayern will enjoy a home advantage and certainly go into the match as deserved favorites, but it is clear Bodø/Glimt will not roll over. On the contrary, they stand every chance of getting something from this match if they play to the best of their abilities. Bayern will need to be wary.
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