The first leg of the 2025/26 Champions League round-of-16 tie between Bodo/Glimt (Norway) and Sporting (Portugal) will take place on 11 March at the Aspmyra Stadion. Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt have produced what is so far the biggest upset of the 2025/26 Champions League. In the play-off round, the side managed to knock out Inter, following up a 3:1 home win with a 2:1 victory away. Overall, Bodo/Glimt have won four straight matches in the Champions League, although they have not managed to keep a clean sheet in any of them. What is more, the club have conceded in 11 consecutive matches in this competition. Even so, that did not stop them from becoming the first Norwegian representative to win a Champions League knockout tie.
- The Scandinavians have scored at least twice in six consecutive Champions League matches.
- At home in this tournament, the club have won 10 of their last 13 matches (one draw, two defeats).
- In 11 of the previous 13 home Champions League matches, the Norwegians have not conceded more than once.
Potential Bodo/Glimt Lineup (4-3-3)
Nikita Haikin – Fredrik Sjovold, Odin Bjortuft, Haitam Aleesami, Fredrik Bjorkan – Patrick Berg, Sondre Fet, Sondre Auklend – Ole Blomberg, Jens Petter Hauge, Kasper Hog.
Sporting
Sporting finished seventh in the league phase. The team avoided defeat in six of eight matches (five wins, one draw), but they conceded 11 goals, and among the top-eight sides only Barcelona looked worse defensively (14). Still, it is worth noting that the Portuguese side scored in every match of the main round. The club have reached the round of 16 for only the third time in the 21st century, but they have not yet managed to get past this stage. Their chances of breaking that trend look decent: Sporting have won five of their last six European matches against opponents from Norway.
- At least three goals have been scored in seven of Sporting's last eight Champions League matches.
- Away from home in this tournament, the club have failed to win six of their previous seven matches (two draws, four defeats).
- In six of the last seven away Champions League matches, the team have scored no more than once.
Potential Sporting Lineup (4-5-1)
Rui Silva – Ivan Fresneda, Goncalo Inacio, Georgios Vagiannidis, Ousmane Diomande – Morten Hjulmand, Joao Simoes, Geny Catamo, Hidemasa Morita, Francisco Trincao – Luis Suarez.
Defender Maximiliano Araujo and midfielder Pedro Goncalves are suspended. Forwards Fotis Ioannidis and Geovany Quenda, defender Ricardo Mangas, and midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili are injured.
Referee
Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
Matches – 8 (international fixtures, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 34;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 25%.
Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting: Match Prediction
After an unconvincing start, probably not even Bodo/Glimt's own fans believed in the team. However, late in the main round the side beat Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, and then in the play-offs they eliminated the leaders of the Italian league. What is more, against opponents of that calibre Kjetil Knutsen's men scored at least twice. Yet goals have not been a problem for the club even when they were not at their best. The Norwegians' scoring run in the Champions League now stands at six matches. The defence, though, raises questions: the team have conceded in 11 consecutive matches in this tournament.
Matches involving Sporting traditionally produce plenty of goals. The team play themselves and allow opponents to do so as well. The Lisbon side scored in every match of the league phase, and in five of those they scored at least twice. However, they managed to keep a clean sheet only once.
The hosts have a recipe for success that they are unlikely to abandon. And given the visitors' results, the chances of seeing a high-scoring match are very high.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
