In a few days time, Celtic will take on the upcoming Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the knockout round playoff of the Europa Conference League.
Today, I’ll be profiling the side that is set to visit Celtic Park on Thursday evening so you don’t have to do any research.
How Bodo/Glimt got here
Let’s start off by looking at how Bodo/Glimt reached this stage of the competition.
The Norwegians began their European campaign in the Champions League however after suffering a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Legia Warszawa in the first qualifying round, they dropped into Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Bodo/Glimt then came through three ties to reach the group stage of the competition in which they defeated all of Icelandic side Valur, FC Prishtina of Kosovo and Lithuanian champions Zalgiris Vilnius.
For the group stage draw, Bodo/Glimt were a pot four team. They would play Roma, Zorya Luhansk and CSKA Sofia in group C.
Throughout the group stage, the Norwegian side remained undefeated, winning three games and drawing three.
It was a routine victory for Bodo/Glimt on matchday one as they tasted victory in a 3-1 win at home to Zorya Luhansk. They would then travel to Bulgaria for the second game of the group stage however they could only manage a goalless draw against CSKA Sofia. Bodo/Glimt had amassed four points from their opening two games in the group stage ahead of a crucial doubleheader with Roma.
The first of the two Roma clashes was a sheer attacking masterclass from Bodo/Glimt. Within twenty minutes, the hosts had a two-goal lead and despite a Carles Perez goal back for Roma, the Italians could do nothing to prevent Bodo/Glimt from running riot. They eventually ran out 6-1 winners as Jose Mourinho’s side were frankly humiliated.
In the return match in the Italian capital, Bodo/Glimt secured another admirable result against Roma as the sides played out an enthralling 2-2 draw in the Stadio Olimpico. Glimt were unfortunate not to grab all three points that night; an 84th minute Roger Ibanez header preventing them from doing so.
With eight points from their opening four matches, Bodo/Glimt just needed to defeat CSKA Sofia at home on matchday five to secure their place in Europe after Christmas. It was a 2-0 win for Kjetil Knutsen’s side as they moved ever closer to topping group C.
To do so, victory was required on the final game of the group stage, considering Roma didn’t slip up in Bulgaria. The Italians did the job in Sofia however top spot evaded Bodo/Glimt as they drew 1-1 with Zorya Luhansk.
Despite their late falter, Bodo/Glimt’s group stage campaign remained a successful one. An iconic victory was secured against a top European side and they had reached the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time in their history.
The Domestic Front
Domestic football in Norway runs on a calendar year basis with the season beginning in May and ending in December.
In the past two league campaigns, it has been Bodo/Glimt who have came out on top. Glimt secured back to back titles in 2020 and 2021, finishing 19 and 3 points respectively ahead of Molde. These achievements are all the more impressive when you consider that the club played in the second tier of football in Norway in both 2013 and 2017. Furthermore, the back-to-back titles they won in 2020 and 2021 were the first in the club’s history.
In the cup, however, Glimt have not tasted success since 1993. This, along with their inexperience in knockout European ties, is something Celtic could certainly take advantage of come Thursday.
However, we should not forget that Bodo/Glimt are champions of Norway and with the tremendous progress they’ve made in recent years, should in no way be underestimated.
Notable Departures
Bodo/Glimt have become regular nurturers of some prominent talent in recent years. The likes of Jens Petter Hauge and Mathias Normann came through the ranks at the club and now turn out for sides in the top five leagues in Europe.
This trend has continued in the most recent transfer window with several key players departing.
Top scorer Erik Botheim left for Krasnodar in Russia for a club record fee of £4.5 million according to Transfermarkt. The twenty-one-year-old scored 15 goals and registered 3 assists in 30 games in the Norwegian Eliteserien in 2021. Botheim also incredibly netted 4 goals and set up a further 4 in his 6 appearances in the Europa Conference League group stage. He leads the competition for combined goals and assists. Despite Krasnodar being a somewhat underwhelming destination for Botheim, it is coherent that his departure is a significant blow for Bodo/Glimt going into their tie with Celtic.
Yet another noteworthy player who left Glimt in January was club captain, Patrick Berg. There were murmurs of interest from Celtic in the midfielder however that’s all it was, murmurs. The Norwegian ended up joining Lens in France for a fee of £4.05 million as of Transfermarkt. There is no denying Berg was a crucial player in his time at Bodo/Glimt. He was a pivotal part of their midfield and the loss of his services provides Glimt a further with setback ahead of not just their match with Celtic, but their 2022 campaign as a whole.
The final two notable departures from Bodo/Glimt in January were two players who left on free transfers. Both left back Fredrik Bjorkan and centre back Marius Lode headed for Germany with Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 respectively. Combined, Bjorkan and Lode made 49 appearances for Bodo/Glimt in the 2021 Norwegian Eliteserien as they played their part in the side being the most defensively sound team in the division.
With as many outgoings as we mentioned, it was certain there would be at least some incomings at Bodo/Glimt in January.
Five players were brought in to replace the departing ones we spoke of: Brice Wembangomo is a right back who signed from fellow Eliteserien side Sandefjord, midfielder Gaute Hoberg Vetti joined from another Norwegian side, Sarpsborg, Runar Espejord appears to be the Erik Botheim replacement, he left Heerenveen in the Netherlands after enjoying a loan spell in Norway in 2021 with Tromso, Bodo/Glimt picked up eighteen-year-old midfielder Fredrik Sjovold from Norwegian third-tier side, Tiller IL and finally, twenty-one-year-old Danish centre back joined from now Norwegian second-tier team, Brann.
Particularly in the summer with Celtic, we’ve seen how the bedding in of new signings can take a while. Even Bodo/Glimt’s manager has confessed his fears over this factor, saying:
“We have sold four players who all played for the national team, so it’s a new team I have and we need time” [The National]
Clearly, there has been a significant overhaul of the Bodo/Glimt squad in recent times. This is doubtlessly a positive for Celtic going into Thursday’s tie.
Recent Rustiness
As mentioned, the Norwegian football season runs on a calendar year basis and despite a few friendlies, Bodo/Glimt will have not played a match in a long while before they experience the scintillating Celtic Park atmosphere in a few days.
In said friendlies, they played out a 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv, a 1-0 win over Danish Superligaen side AGF Aarhus and a 3-2 victory against Swedish top tier team, IF Elfsborg.
Clearly, the Norwegian champions will be rather rusty ahead of the tie with Celtic and coming into a high-octane atmosphere similar to what Thursday’s will be will do them no favours.
One to Watch
One of the only Bodo/Glimt stars who didn’t depart in January was Ola Solbakken. Despite interest from the likes of Galatasaray, Genoa and Hellas Verona the Norwegian decided to stay in his homeland, for now, at least.
Solbakken is a right winger who loves to cut in on his favoured left foot however he can also operate on the opposite flank as well, playing like a traditional winger who gets to the bye line and flashes dangerous balls across the face of goal.
Solbakken has been at Bodo/Glimt since the beginning of 2020 and has since made 60 appearances for the club. In those games, the 23-year-old has scored 14 goals and set up a further 13. Solbakken is also the joint-third top scorer in the Europa Conference league having netted 4 times in the competition so far in 21/22.
With Bodo/Glimt’s recent departures, it could now be time for Ola Solbakken to step up and become a key clog in the side. Previously, the likes of Erik Botheim and Patrick Berg have outshone the winger however the tie with Celtic provides Solbakken with the ideal opportunity to come to the fore and grab the headlines.
Rounding Off
Despite Celtic’s recent form, the Europa Conference League tie with Bodo/Glimt will in no way be a walkover. The Norwegian champions are a well-drilled team notwithstanding their recent departures and could certainly cause Celtic problems.
However, the Hoops should look to take full advantage of the Celtic Park crowd in the first leg which turned out to be so effective in the Glasgow Derby. A strong result in the opening leg could prove to be crucial ahead of a taxing trip to the freezing Bodo.
Should Celtic win the tie, they will be into the last sixteen of the Europa Conference League where some arduous yet doable ties lie in wait. The possibilities for Celtic in said competition are prosperous, however, they will be non-existent should Ange Postecoglou’s side not get the job done against Bodo/Glimt.
