In Bodø, teams from one of the northernmost countries of the tournament and the southernmost will face off. The climate will also play its part.
Bodø/Glimt are making confident strides towards another title in the Norwegian Eliteserien, but once again failed to make it to the main stage of the UEFA Champions League, being halted by Crvena Zvezda, who won by a one-goal margin. After that disappointing match in Belgrade, the Norway side played three more national league matches. They secured clean-sheet victories against Strømsgodset (1:0, away) and HamKam (3:0, home), but surprisingly suffered a heavy away defeat to main rival Brann last Sunday (1:4). Despite having more chances: 17 (6) to 15 (8) in shots and 2.81 to 2.03 in xG, they still lost the game. However, at home, the team have won their last 8 matches and have been undefeated in their last 12.
Unlike their Norwegian opponent, Porto did not have to go through any qualifiers this summer, thanks to their third-place finish in the previous Portuguese league season. However, this was little solace for them, as they are accustomed to competing in the Champions League. In the league, the Portuguese side are doing well under the management of Vítor Bruno, who took over this summer, but they are already trailing behind Sporting CP, the only team to have beaten Porto (0:2). However, playing at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon is always tough.
The journey from Portugal to Norway takes at least half a day with layovers, as Bodø is situated far north of Oslo. The weather will also be more familiar for the hosts, with temperatures below +10 degrees. These additional factors, combined with their strong home form, will benefit Bodø/Glimt, and they are unlikely to lose.
