Five days after a flat 0-0 at Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga left questions about their rhythm, Bayern München get their UEFA Champions League campaign underway at the Allianz Arena on September 10. Vincent Kompany’s side will want a response, and Bodo/Glimt, fresh off a 2-1 win at Fredrikstad in the Eliteserien, arrive as the kind of pressing, vertical side that can punish a disjointed team. These two clubs have never met before, so there is no head-to-head history to lean on, only what they have built over the past few weeks.
What’s at stake
This is matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League league stage, where 36 clubs compete across a single table. The top eight advance directly to the round of 16, while places 9 through 24 enter a two-legged playoff for a spot in the last 16. Teams finishing below 24th are eliminated. With eight clubs already carrying three points on the board after matchday 1 results elsewhere, Bayern and Bodo/Glimt both need to get off the mark before the gap at the top grows.
For Bayern, a home win is the expected baseline, but the manner of it matters too. A convincing performance in front of their own crowd, after the tepid showing at Schalke, would reset the tone heading into the domestic and European calendar. For Bodo/Glimt, a result here would be one of the most significant in the Norwegian club’s Champions League history and would put them in a strong early position in the league stage table.
How they got here
Bayern arrive having won four of their last five across all competitions. They beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Super Cup, hammered VfB Stuttgart 5-1 at home in the Bundesliga, won 4-1 at VfL Osnabrück in the DFB Pokal, then drew 0-0 at Schalke last weekend. The run shows a team capable of real attacking output but one that can also go quiet away from home against lower-opposition. Bodo/Glimt come in on a five-match winning streak. They knocked out NEC Nijmegen in the UCL qualifying rounds, winning 3-1 away and 3-0 at home, then beat Rosenborg 4-2 and won 2-1 at Fredrikstad in the Eliteserien. Kjetil Knutsen’s side have been scoring freely and conceding without panic.
Bayern are the heavy favorites on paper, but Bodo/Glimt have already demonstrated they can handle European pressure across two legs against Nijmegen. The Norwegian side are deep into their domestic season, sitting at round 20 of the Eliteserien, so their legs are well into match rhythm. Bayern are only two Bundesliga games into their season, still finding their footing.
Key battle to watch
Bodo/Glimt’s high-energy, man-oriented pressing has been the engine behind their recent run, and it will be tested immediately against Bayern’s midfield build-up through Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala. If Knutsen’s side can disrupt Bayern’s first line of progression and force turnovers in midfield, they have the pace through Jens Petter Hauge and the forwards to transition quickly. Kompany will look for Musiala to find pockets and bypass that press before it sets. Whoever controls the tempo in the first 30 minutes is likely to set the tone for the 90.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
Bayern should have enough quality at home to take the three points, but the first half could be tighter than expected if Bodo/Glimt’s press lands. Kompany’s side have the firepower through Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Musiala to eventually break through, and the Allianz Arena crowd will push them forward after the Schalke flat note. Expect Bayern to win, but Bodo/Glimt are dangerous enough on the counter to keep this from being straightforward.
Bayern Munchen
Bodo/Glimt
Jamal Musiala