The first leg of the 2024/25 Europa League Round of 16 between Bodo/Glimt (Norway) and Olympiacos (Greece) will take place on March 6 at the Aspmyra Stadium. Bodo/Glimt vs. Olympiacos: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Bodo/Glimt
Kjetil Knutsen's side faced Twente in the playoff matches. After losing the first leg away (1-2), Bodo/Glimt bounced back in the home match, securing a 3-2 result in regular time and scoring two unanswered goals in extra time. Notably, in the current Europa League, the club has scored 20 goals, second only to Galatasaray (22).
- The club has won in regular time in 7 of their last 10 home matches in the Europa League.
- The Norwegians have conceded exactly one or two goals in 90 minutes in their last ten home games in this European competition.
- The team has scored at least twice in regular time in 4 of their last 5 home matches in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3)
Nikita Haikin – Fredrik Bjorkan, Ole Blomberg, Jostein Gundersen, Villads Nielsen – Ulrik Saltnes, Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen – Fredrik Sjøvold, Kasper Hogh, Jens Petter Hauge.
Olympiacos
Jose Luis Mendilibar's team did not participate in the playoff matches. In the final round of the group stage, Olympiacos confidently defeated Qarabag at home (3-0), extending their unbeaten run in the Europa League to seven matches (4 wins, 3 draws). As a result, the club finished seventh in the standings and advanced directly to the Round of 16. Notably, the Greeks have conceded only three goals and kept six clean sheets in the current Europa League campaign, making Olympiacos the best in these statistics among all tournament teams.
- The team has not won in regular time in 14 of their last 17 away matches in the Europa League (7 draws, 7 losses).
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 90 minutes in six of the club's previous away games in this European competition.
- No more than three goals were scored in regular time in 5 of Olympiacos's last 6 away matches in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Olympiacos (4-3-3)
Konstantinos Tzolakis – Lorenzo Pirola, Costinha, David Carmo, Julian Biancone – Gelson Martins, Kristoffer Velde, Dani Garcia – Charalampos Kostoulas, Ayoub El Kaabi, Santiago Esse.
Defender Panagiotis Retsos, as well as midfielders Chiquinho and Yusuf Yazici, will not play due to injuries.
Referee
Nikolai Balakin (Ukraine)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 38%.
Bodo/Glimt vs. Olympiacos: Match Prediction
The Norwegians may lack extensive experience in European competitions, but they have already established themselves as a strong home team. Bodo/Glimt is ready to fight to the end and challenge any opponent at home: in the last ten home Europa League matches, the club has won seven, and of the three home defeats in this period, two were against strong teams PSV (1-2) and Arsenal (0-1). Additionally, in the current edition of this European competition, the Norwegians have won 4 of 5 home matches.
Olympiacos performed excellently in the group stage, but each of their four away encounters in the current Europa League has been challenging. A defeat to Lyon (0-2) and a draw with FCSB (0-0) were below expectations, and in the two matches they won, the Greeks scored only one goal each. Overall, in their last 17 away games in this European competition, the team has won only three times and suffered seven defeats. Furthermore, in their last six away Europa League matches, the club has scored a total of just two goals.
I expect another strong performance from the Norwegians. My prediction: Bodo/Glimt with a handicap (0)
