The Matchday 1 encounter of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage between Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) and Bodø/Glimt (Norway) will take place on September 17 at Eden Arena. Slavia Prague vs. Bodø/Glimt: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Slavia Prague
The Czech champions have earned a direct spot in the Champions League group stage. This marks the third time in their history that the team will participate in the main stage, and in the previous two instances, they failed to reach the playoffs. Last season, Slavia couldn't get past the final qualifying round in the Champions League and ended up in the Europa League. There, Jindřich Trpišovský's side did not achieve success: after winning the first match, they failed to win any of the next seven games (2 draws, 5 losses), finishing in 30th place.
- The team has conceded in 5 of their last 7 Champions League matches.
- At home, Slavia has avoided defeat in 10 of their last 13 Champions League games, securing 5 wins.
- The Prague side opened the scoring in 4 of their last 5 matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Slavia Prague (4-3-3)
Jindřich Staněk – Štěpán Haloupek, Tomáš Holeš, David Doudera, David Zima – Oscar Dorley, Christos Zafeiris, Michal Sadílek – Lukáš Provod, Tomáš Chorý, Vasil Kušej.
Defenders Jan Bořil and Igo Ogbu are injured.
Bodø/Glimt
Having won the Norwegian championship, Kjetil Knutsen's side began their Champions League journey in the playoff matches, where they outperformed Sturm (5:0, 1:2). Thus, the team has reached the main stage of this tournament for the first time in its history, and Norwegian clubs have not reached this stage since the 2007/08 season. On the international stage, Bodø/Glimt has already made some noise. In last season's Europa League, the team reached the semifinals, where they lost to the eventual winner. Again, no other team from this Scandinavian country has reached the semifinals of a UEFA tournament before. Additionally, in the Champions League, the Norwegians have won 6 of their last 8 matches (2 losses).
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 7 of Bodø/Glimt's last 9 Champions League matches.
- The club has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 6 of their last 7 away matches in this tournament.
- In the Champions League, the team has failed to win 7 of their last 9 away matches (1 draw, 6 losses).
Predicted lineup for Bodø/Glimt (4-3-3)
Nikita Haikin – Fredrik Sjøvold, Villads Nielsen, Jostein Gunnersen, Odin Bjørtuft – Patrick Berg, Mikkel Bro Hansen, Håkon Evjen – Mathias Jørgensen, Jens Petter Hauge, Andreas Helmersson.
Injured players include defender Fredrik Bjørkan, midfielder Ulrik Saltnes, and forwards Ole Blomberg, Isak Määttä, and Ola Brynhildsen.
Referee
Marian Barbu (Romania)
Matches – 13 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 43;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 31%.
Match Prediction: Slavia Prague vs. Bodø/Glimt
In the last Europa League season, the Prague side struggled even at home, but they managed to score in all four home matches. However, they conceded fewer than two goals in only one home game. A similar pattern is seen with Slavia in the Champions League. The team generally aims for attacking football in all tournaments.
The Norwegians have already shown their attacking prowess in this Champions League by thrashing Sturm. The team was known for good scoring last season, netting in 13 of 16 Europa League matches. However, their commitment to attacking football has not been favorable for their defense. In the 2024/25 Europa League, Bodø/Glimt had only three clean sheets. In the Champions League, the club has also regularly conceded, keeping a clean sheet in only one of their last 9 away matches.
Two teams that spend a lot of time in attack should deliver a high-scoring game. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
