Four days after beating Kristiansund BK 3-1 in the Eliteserien, Bodo/Glimt return to Aspmyra Stadion on Wednesday for a very different kind of test. Kjetil Knutsen’s side host Borussia Dortmund in League Stage matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League, needing their first points in this campaign after a 5-0 opening-round defeat to Bayern Munich in September. Dortmund arrive having drawn 2-2 at home to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga five days ago, and Niko Kovac will want a reaction on the road. With 36 clubs chasing 24 qualifying places across the league phase, neither side can afford to fall further behind early.
What’s at stake
The reformed Champions League league stage sends 24 of the 36 clubs into the knockout rounds, meaning just under two-thirds of the field advances. That sounds comfortable, but with only one matchday played, the margin for error is thin for teams that have already dropped points or, in Bodo/Glimt’s case, lost their opener. Dortmund picked up three points by beating Villarreal 3-2 on matchday 1 and sit in a solid position heading north. Bodo/Glimt, who conceded five without reply against Bayern Munich, are yet to open their account.
A win for the Norwegian champions would move them level with Dortmund on three points and reset the picture entirely heading into the second half of the league phase. For Dortmund, back-to-back victories would lift them up the Champions League standings after just one game played and ease pressure heading into what promises to be a demanding schedule across both the Bundesliga and Europe. A loss would leave Bodo/Glimt with serious ground to make up and hand Dortmund a platform to coast through the early rounds.
How they got here
Bodo/Glimt’s last five results span two competitions and tell a mixed story. The 3-1 home win over Kristiansund last Friday was their second win in three Eliteserien outings, sandwiching a 1-2 loss at Brann in late September. They also put six past Rana in the NM Cupen, showing attacking depth. The concern is European form: the 0-5 hammering at Bayern Munich on September 10 exposed the gap between Norwegian football and the continent’s elite on a big stage. Knutsen will be hoping that result was an anomaly rather than a benchmark. Dortmund’s recent form is more consistent. Three Bundesliga wins from four matches, including a 3-0 home rout of SC Paderborn and a 1-0 away win at VfB Stuttgart, bracket their Champions League opener. The 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen at home last Thursday was a minor stumble, but Dortmund have looked sharp in attack throughout the autumn.
Dortmund claimed their three league stage points with a 3-2 win over Villarreal on matchday 1. Bodo/Glimt’s only Champions League result this term is the heavy defeat in Munich. The teams met once before in this competition: a 2-2 draw at Dortmund’s ground in December 2025, which remains the only head-to-head on record.
Key battle to watch
Bodo/Glimt’s attacking press is the engine of their domestic success, but it has been exploited by quality opposition before. Dortmund’s midfield unit, built around Marcel Sabitzer and Johannes Veerman, is comfortable carrying the ball out from deep and breaking lines quickly. If Serhou Guirassy is available and sharp up top, Dortmund will look to punish any gap Bodo/Glimt leave behind their high defensive line. The Norwegian side’s counter-attacking pace through Hauge and Evjen on the flanks is their best answer: if they can win the ball high and transition before Dortmund’s shape resets, they have the tools to make this uncomfortable. That midfield collision, Bodo/Glimt’s press intensity against Dortmund’s ability to play through it, will likely decide the scoreline.
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Our Prediction
Bodo/Glimt are riding positive momentum from their weekend win and the crowd at Aspmyra can make life genuinely difficult for visiting sides. That said, the 0-5 result against Bayern Munich remains a reference point, and Dortmund’s form across both competitions this autumn has been more reliable. Kovac’s side look likely to control possession for long stretches and Guirassy’s movement should test Bodo/Glimt’s backline. Expect a competitive first half from the hosts before Dortmund’s quality tells in the second.