Bodo/Glimtvs.Lazio

The Serie A side strolled through the league phase, then edged through their first knockout tie; meanwhile, Glimt had to go through the playoffs before eliminating last year's Conference League champions.

Match preview

Effectively sealing progress from the last 16, Bodo/Glimt seized a 3-0 lead in the home leg of their tussle with Olympiacos, so a 2-1 away loss still sent them through on aggregate.

Kjetil Knutsen's men have therefore reached the quarter-final of a major European competition for just the second time to date, following their deep run in the 2021-22 Conference League.

Previously in this term's Europa League, they only missed out on direct qualification from the league phase on goal difference, before overturning a 1-0 deficit in the playoffs with a dramatic 5-2 extra-time win over Twente.

At their headquarters, located north of the Arctic Circle, the Norwegian champions have regularly excelled, winning five of six games in this term's continental campaign; finding the net at least three times on four separate occasions.

Having started their new domestic season with successive Eliteserien wins - plus an 8-0 victory in the cup - Glimt have also scored 11 times without reply since losing the second leg to Olympiacos.

Of course, their level of opposition now steps up several notches, as Knutsen's side meet an Italian team for the first time since exiting the Conference League to Roma three years ago.

On that occasion, they did win the first leg 2-1 at Aspmyra Stadion - their second home success against Lazio's arch-rivals that season - and they also beat Sampdoria in a Cup Winners' Cup tie way back in 1994.

While Bodo/Glimt have taken a longer route to this late stage of the tournament, Lazio simply blitzed their way through the league phase, finishing top of the table and booking direct entry into the last 16.

There, the Biancocelesti had to battle past Viktoria Plzen, winning the first leg with a 98th-minute strike by Gustav Isaksen despite going down to nine men, before Alessio Romagnoli's headed goal in Rome helped them scrape through 3-2 on aggregate.

Marco Baroni's side have already won seven Europa League matches this season - the only time Lazio have managed more in a single European campaign was during the 1999-00 Champions League - and they are among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao next month.

It is seven years since they last reached the quarter-finals - and they have not progressed to a continental semi since 2003 - while the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup remain their only European trophies.

So, Baroni's boys can write themselves into Lazio folklore by going all the way this season: but first they must survive a trip to northern Norway, then wrap up a semi-final showdown with either Eintracht Frankfurt or Tottenham Hotspur in next week's second leg.

They come into Thursday's clash on the back of a much-needed domestic success, having won only one of their previous six Serie A fixtures before beating another out-of-form club last weekend.

Isaksen was on target again as the capital club downed fellow top-four contenders Atalanta BC in Bergamo, and Baroni will hope that proves to be a turning point.

Bodo/Glimt Europa League form:

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Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

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Lazio Europa League form:

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Lazio form (all competitions):

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Team News

With only Daniel Bassi sidelined, Bodo/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen can choose from an almost full squad for the first leg.

Captain Ulrik Saltnes bagged a brace in Saturday's 3-0 Eliteserien win over HamKam, and he should start in a three-man midfield also featuring Patrick Berg.

Berg has made 58 tackles in the Europa League so far this season, 15 more than any other player; he needs just one more to equal the overall record set by Javier Mascherano for Liverpool back in 2010.

Meanwhile, in attack, Ole Didrik Blomberg and ex-AC Milan winger Jens Petter Hauge could support lone striker Kasper Hogh. The latter has scored seven goals in this term's continental campaign, the most by any Danish player in a single European season since Soren Lerby netted 10 for Ajax 45 years ago.

Lazio's selections may be influenced by this weekend's Derby della Capitale, when they will vie with city rivals and top-four competitors Roma at Stadio Olimpico.

One key player that will definitely not take part on Thursday is midfield metronome Nicolo Rovella, who must serve a suspension, while Patric and influential left-back Nuno Tavares are set to miss out through injury.

Matteo Guendouzi is back from a domestic ban, though, and star striker Taty Castellanos is edging towards a much-anticipated return, having been an unused substitute against Atalanta.

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Gundersen, Bjortuft, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Saltnes; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Mandas; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Vecino, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Dia

We say: Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Lazio

As Bodo/Glimt can pose a threat to any team on home turf - and Lazio have lost some momentum in recent weeks - the first-leg of this fascinating tie could be drawn.

Written by

Jonathan O'Shea

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