UEFA Europa League Preview: Bodø/Glimt’s Manager Praises Opponent as Porto Faces Weather Challenges in Away Match

On September 26 at 00:45, the first round of the UEFA Europa League will see Bodø/Glimt host Porto at the Aspmyra Stadium within the Arctic Circle.

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In the Norwegian Eliteserien match on September 22, Bodø/Glimt suffered a 1-4 away defeat against Brann. The team fielded their main lineup but fell behind by three goals early, prompting manager Kjetil Knutsen to substitute key players such as Fred, Haug to preserve energy for this UEFA Europa League match. Regarding the upcoming match against Portuguese powerhouse Porto, Knutsen openly stated, “Porto is the best team we have ever faced, even better than Roma. We’ve never played against a team like Porto, it’s a huge challenge for us, and we will maintain our attacking style and always try to control the game.”

Currently in the Norwegian Eliteserien standings, Bodø/Glimt temporarily holds the top spot with 15 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, maintaining a seven-point lead over second-placed Brann with seven rounds left, making them strong contenders for the title. In the current season, they have achieved an impressive record of 8 wins and 3 draws in 11 home league matches, averaging nearly three goals per game. On the European stage, Bodø/Glimt also left a deep impression, defeating Roma 6-1 at home in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage three years ago and advancing to the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Roma again.

In terms of squad availability, Bodø/Glimt will be without the services of central striker Sørgard and central defender Vumbengue in this match. Additionally, after losing key attacker Grønbech in the summer transfer window, they have not found a suitable replacement, with 29-year-old Dane Sørensen unable to replicate Grønbech’s scoring output. However, there is good news that defender Gundersen may recover from injury in time for this match.

The visiting Porto secured a comfortable 3-0 victory away against Guimarães in the sixth round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on September 22. New signing Francisco Mora, the left-back, provided two assists in the second half, helping the team secure a big win away. Meanwhile, Porto’s key forward signing Omoregbe, who previously won the Olympic gold medal with Spain’s Olympic team, scored a brace in the match, cementing his position as Porto’s starting forward. This shows that Porto has made noticeable improvements under the leadership of new 41-year-old coach Bruno, and they are very hopeful of challenging for the league title after two years.

Currently in the Portuguese Primeira Liga standings, Porto sits in second place with five wins and one loss, trailing league leaders Sporting CP by one win, with a long road ahead in the title race. In last season’s 17 away league matches, Porto achieved an excellent record of 11 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, second only to eventual champions Sporting CP in terms of points collected away from home. However, this away trip still poses a formidable challenge for Porto, as Bodø/Glimt is one of the few teams located within the Arctic Circle (today’s temperature in Bodø is below 10 degrees Celsius), and Porto, accustomed to sunny weather in Portugal, may not adapt quickly.

In terms of squad availability, Porto’s main attacking player Fabio Vieira has a chance to return for this match but is unlikely to start. Additionally, Porto defenders Sanusi and Markano remain sidelined due to serious knee injuries, and the expected central defensive pairing for this match will likely be Perez and Pedro.

The two teams have not met before, and in this match, Bodø/Glimt aims to leverage their intimidating home advantage to repel the visiting superpower Porto, who have twice won the UEFA Champions League. What sparks will fly between these two teams?

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