Bode/Glimt are on the verge of a historic run into the last 16 of the Champions League with a three-goal lead against Sporting Lisbon.
While Borders were not easily eliminated early in the Champions League group stages, it wasn’t until they beat former champions Manchester City at the end of January that their love affair with the most prestigious of club competitions really began. The small fishing village of just 55,000 has reached heights that many big cities can only dream of, with Bodø following up their victory over Manchester City with a win over Atletico Madrid and a 5-2 victory over last season’s finalists Inter Milan to send the Norwegian side into the last 16. A 3-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon in the first leg set up a mouth-watering draw with Bode on Tuesday afternoon. More history is about to be made.
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Despite a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, Sporting Lisbon performed well in the domestic league, losing only once all season. Leo are second in the Portuguese league, seven points behind leaders Porto with a game in hand. Rui Borges’ side also performed well in the Champions League group stages, automatically advancing to the last 16 as a top eight team after losing just two of eight games. Victories against Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille proved their place among Europe’s elite, making the first-leg result all the more remarkable.
Even more strikingly, Borders were in their maiden season in the Champions League after losing to eventual champions Tottenham after reaching the Europa League semi-finals last season. With such a small population, we can rightly assume that Bodø have not always been Europe’s premier dark horses, but have consistently excelled in the domestic league, winning the Elite League four times and a further 11 domestic trophies while continuing to break football records in northern Norway. After finishing second in the league last season, Bodø will be hoping to go one better and secure a fifth Elite League title when the Norwegian league resumes later this month.
Sporting CP have lost just one game at home in all competitions this season and will need to rely on this excellent form if they are to end this Norwegian fairytale. They also have very talented players, the most important of which is striker Luis Suarez (not that one), who has 15 goals and 4 assists so far this season, while young winger Giovanni Kunda is one of the most exciting talents in Europe this season. The two have contributed greatly to Sporting Lisbon’s 64 goals in the league this season, the most in Europe.
Bode also have very talented players in their arsenal, with Jens-Petter Hauge being the crown jewel of this team so far this season, having contributed 11 goals in 13 Champions League games so far this season. With a goal, other forward Kasper Hogg has also appeared in people’s sight many times in this Champions League and has already scored in the first round. Bode/Glimt went to Lisbon with a three-goal advantage. They will face Sporting CP to compete for a place in the top 16 of the Champions League.
