Bodo/Glimt begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday, as they kick off a second qualifying round tie against Rigas Futbola Skola at Aspmyra Stadion.
After easing through the first round, RFS now travel north of the Arctic Circle to Bodo, where their hosts have staged several major upsets over the past few years.
Match preview
Now into his seventh year as Bodo/Glimt boss, Kjetil Knutsen is aiming to reach the Champions League group stage for the very first time, following a near miss two seasons ago and several impressive appearances in other UEFA competitions.
The Norwegian title-holders have been seeded in the ‘Champions Path’ for qualifying, so they enter this year’s edition in the second round – three steps away from reaching the new-look league phase.
Having turned over established sides such as Celtic and Roma in recent years, Bodo pushed Ajax all the way in the knockout stage of last term’s Europa Conference League, before succumbing to a 4-3 aggregate defeat.
They had already captured another Eliteserien title, though, and are now in pursuit of a fourth league crown in just five years.
Bouncing straight back from a shock 2-1 defeat to bottom club Sandefjord earlier this month – only their second league defeat of the season – the Yellow Horde beat Odd 3-1 on Friday night, leaving them with a six-point lead at the summit.
Meanwhile, RFS hold a four-point advantage over second-placed rivals Riga in the Latvian Higher League and will enter Tuesday’s game on a run of seven straight wins across all competitions.
During that success streak, the capital-city club cruised through their opening Champions League qualifier by beating Larne of Northern Ireland 7-0 on aggregate in the first round.
Following a 3-0 victory at home, they ran out 4-0 winners in the second leg, registering seven different goalscorers across the two matches and serving notice of intent to progress further in Europe’s top club competition.
Despite winning the Virsliga title for a second time since being formed in 2016, last season RFS exited at the Conference League’s qualifying stage, failing to build on a first group-phase appearance one year earlier, during which they memorably held Fiorentina to a 1-1 draw in Florence.
Head coach Viktors Morozs will now take a team on a six-match unbeaten away streak – albeit against more modest opposition – to northern Norway, seeking a positive result to take home for next week’s return.
Team News
Due to suffering a second head injury in as many weeks, Bodo/Glimt’s Jostein Gundersen may miss Tuesday’s first leg: after he was controversially allowed to continue against Sandefjord despite the club doctor’s advice, the centre-back sustained a gash on his forehead against Odd last time out.
The hosts are again without Kasper Hogh, Sondre Sorli and Runar Espejord, but Brede Moe has returned to the squad and is set to feature in a four-man defence.
August Mikkelsen has struggled to perform since switching from Hammarby, but the 23-year-old scored Bodo’s opener on Friday and should start in a front three led by either Hakon Evjen or the more imposing Oscar Kapskarmo.
RFS, meanwhile, will turn to Ismael Diomande to pose their main goal threat in Norway – the Ivorian winger has scored seven goals in his last eight matches, including one against Larne last week.
Latvia international Janis Ikaunieks is another important figure in the visitors’ attack, while ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa – capped 51 times by Cameroon – starts between the posts.
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Haikin; Wembangomo, Bjortuft, Moe, Bjorkan; Saltnes, Berg, Gronbaek; Sjovold, Evjen, Mikkelsen
Rigas Futbola Skola possible starting lineup:
Ondoa; Balodis, Prenga, Lipuscek; Ikaunieks, Markhiev, Panic, Mares; Diomande, Deocleciano, Lemajic