Do the Norwegians still manage to make a comeback?

Super-GAU for Bodö/Glimt? After the 0:1 defeat in the first leg against Linfield FC, the reigning champions from Norway must fear for a place in the next round. The defeat less than a week ago was a surprise, as Bodö/Glimt not only had more of the game than the Northern Irish champions, but also created more chances to score.

As in the previous round, when Bodö/Glimt lost the second match 3-1 after winning the first leg 3-0, the Scandinavians suffered a bitter defeat away from home. The best bookmakers nevertheless see Bodö/Glimt vs Linfield FC as clear favourites according to the betting odds.

Although the visitors from Northern Ireland won the first leg 1-0, odds of up to 27.50 are currently available on Bodö/Glimt vs Linfield for tip 2. This assessment by the bookmakers is mainly due to the home strength of the Norwegian champions. Internationally, Bodö/Glimt have won their last ten home games.

Last season, even tournament champions AS Roma came under the wheels of the Norwegian attack in the Conference League. In the group stage of the UEFA Conference League, Bodö/Glimt beat the Italians 6-1. A similar result tends not to be ruled out against Linfield FC.

Bodö/Glimt – Statistics & current form

Bodö/Glimt stumbled in the previous round and almost lost their ticket to the second round of CL qualification in their first round match against KI Klaksvik. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, Bodö/Glimt lost 3-1 away from home, which was surprising as they had dominated the first leg at home.

The poor away form in international matches continued against Linfield FC. The 1-0 defeat in Northern Ireland was Bodö/Glimt’s third successive international loss this season. The Norwegian champions now need to win by at least two goals in the second leg to progress to the next round in regulation time.

Ahead of the second leg against Linfield FC, Bodö/Glimt warmed up with an emphatic win in the Norwegian Eliteserien. Head coach Kjetil Knutsen’s side scored five goals against league rivals FK Jerv to record their highest win of the competition season. “The Man of the Match was undoubtedly Amahl Pellegrino.

Next show from Pellegrino?

Amahl Pellegrino extended his goal tally to 13 with the one-man show and remains the top scorer in the Norwegian top flight. Internationally, however, Victor Boniface has been the Norwegians’ top scorer so far. The 21-year-old Nigerian has already scored four goals in his three international appearances for the Norwegian champions.

Boniface may well underpin his recent form in the return leg against Linfield FC. Given their recent home record on the international stage, it is natural to predict a home win for the Norwegian hosts in Bodö/Glimt vs Linfield. Especially since Bodö/Glimt already dominated the first leg.

If they can improve their chances this time, there will be no obstacles to a win against Linfield FC. Head coach Knutsen will only have to do without Solbakken for the match against the Northern Irish due to injury. There are no other absences for the Norwegians.

Predicted line-up of Bodö/Glimt:
Haikin; Sampsted, Amundsen, Hoibraten, Wembangomo; Saltnes, Hagen, Vetlesen; Sorli, Boniface, Pellegrino

Last games from Bodö/Glimt:

Elite Series
23/07/2022 – Bodö/Glimt 5 – 0 Jerv

Champions League Qualifier
20/07/2022 – Linfield FC 1 – 0 Bodö/Glimt

Eliteserien
16/07/2022 – Hamarkameratene 0 – 2 Bodö/Glimt

Champions League Qualifier
13/07/2022 – Klaksvik 3 – 1 Bodö/Glimt

Eliteserien
09/07/2022 – Bodö/Glimt 4 – 1 Sarpsborg 08

Linfield – Statistics & current form

Linfield FC pulled off a surprise in the first leg of their second qualifying round tie for the Champions League. With the 1-0 win in their own stadium, the Northern Irish champions set the course for the third round. So far, Linfield have never qualified for the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

The best result was always the second round in CL qualifying. The result in the first leg against Bodö/Glimt was therefore all the more pleasing, in which the Northern Irish defence shone above all. For 90 minutes, the Northern Irish Blues’ defence kept Bodö/Glimt’s offence at bay.

Nevertheless, it is bold to place bets in favour of the Northern Irish champions this time around. Linfield have hardly impressed away from home on the international stage in recent years. Since 2014, the long-established Northern Irish club have won just two of their last 17 away games in UEFA European Cup qualifiers.

Coup against Bodö/Glimt just a snapshot?

The away weakness was already noticeable in the round before. After all, the first leg against The New Saints was lost 0:1. It was only in the second leg that Linfield made it through to the next round with a 2-0 win in extra time. Unlike the Norwegians, the Northern Irish champions have not played another match since the first leg against Bodö/Glimt.

Play in the Northern Ireland Premiership does not start for another three weeks. Linfield FC have therefore been spared the double burden for the time being and go into the second leg with just under a week’s recovery time. As in the first leg, head coach Healy will have all the key players in the squad at his disposal.

Big changes are not expected after the strong performance in the first match against Bodö/Glimt. Bettors who want to bet on a surprise coup for the Northern Irish this time around can currently pick up betting odds of 27.50 for tip 2 on Bodö/Glimt vs Linfield.

Predicted line-up for Linfield:
Johns; Finlayson, Hall, Roscoe, Clarke; Mulgrew, Shields, Fallon; Millar, McDaid, Stewart

Last matches played by Linfield:

Champions League Qualifiers
20/07/2022 – Linfield FC 1 – 0 Bodö/Glimt

14/07/2022 – Linfield FC 2 – 0 The New Saints FC

06/07/2022 – The New Saints FC 1 – 0 Linfield FC

Friendly club matches
02/07/2022 – Linfield FC 1 – 2 St Mirren

Premiership Championship Group
30/04/2022 – Linfield FC 2 – 0 Coleraine FC

Bodö/Glimt – Linfield Direct comparison / H2H balance

Last week Bodö/Glimt and Linfield met for the first time in their club history. The Northern Irish side edged out the Norwegian champions 1-0 to take the lead in the head-to-head comparison for the time being. It was only the second time in the club’s history that Linfield had beaten a team from Norway.

Overall, Linfield have a record of 2-6-7 after 13 competitive matches against Norwegian clubs.

Bodö/Glimt – Linfield Tip

Bodö/Glimt still have a realistic chance of reaching the next round in the ongoing Champions League qualifiers after losing the first leg. The Norwegian champions are a force at home and have already impressively underlined their home strength in the last season.

In the 2021/22 Conference League, Bodö/Glimt even won 6:1 against the eventual tournament winners AS Roma. Bodö have won their last ten matches at home on the international stage. It is quite possible that the next win will come against Linfield FC.

The Norwegians already dominated the first leg and only failed to score because of their poor chance-taking. If they can improve on that, Bodö/Glimt should not have too much trouble against Linfield and punch their ticket to the third qualifying round.

We expect the Scandinavians to win by a landslide and place our Bodö/Glimt vs Linfield bet on a handicap win for the Norwegian hosts with at least a four-goal difference with a stake of four units.