Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Europa League match.
The goal-oriented approach of Union Saint-Gilloise and Bodø/Glimt led them to high-scoring outcomes in the opening round of the Europa League. Bookmakers give the edge to the Belgian side in this head-to-head, as they have a squad with more top-class players, whereas the Scandinavian team faces squad issues due to injuries.
Union Saint-Gilloise
Away against Fenerbahçe, Union Saint-Gilloise were forced to attack vigorously after conceding an early goal (1:2). Ross Sykes scored late for Saint-Gilloise following Franjo Ivanović's missed penalty, but the final xG of 2.33 against 1.13 left the Belgians disappointed—they could have capitalised more on their visit to a top opponent. The team will not hold back, as demonstrated by their emphatic 3:0 win over KV Kortrijk on Sunday, showing their intention to continue attacking with quality and quantity.
Bodø/Glimt
At the end of summer, Bodø/Glimt came close to reaching the Champions League group stage but fell short against Red Star Belgrade (3:2 on aggregate). However, in the Europa League, the Norwegians are notably strong in attack: they kicked off the tournament with a win over Porto (3:2), with the decisive goal from Jens Petter Hauge coming despite being a man down. The former AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt player has hit a fine patch of form: he recorded 2+1 against Porto, and scored twice against Kristiansund over the weekend (4:0). Notably, the team has seen the total over 2.5 four times in a row after the international break.
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Bodø/Glimt Prediction
In Brussels, we can expect open football, especially since Union Saint-Gilloise and Bodø/Glimt have three suspended players between them—a gap in their lineup that will create more opportunities for each side. Active attacks will lead to a high-scoring encounter.
