Borussia Dortmund will aim to get past a potential banana peel when they face Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday night.
Borussia Dortmund will aim to take a significant step toward securing a top-eight finish in the Champions League league phase when they welcome Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt to Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night. With the Bundesliga giants boasting one of the competition’s most explosive attacks, and their visitors teetering on the edge of early elimination, the stakes could not be more contrasting.
After a brief stutter in November, Dortmund appear to be rediscovering their fluency. A run of three winless games saw them lose ground in the Bundesliga title race and included a humbling 4-1 defeat away at Manchester City in Europe. That setback raised questions about Niko Kovac’s evolving project. However, the response since has been emphatic.
Dortmund have won three of their last four matches in all competitions, looking revitalised in the final third. Their 4-0 demolition of Villarreal over two weeks ago was a statement performance, underscoring both their attacking sharpness and tactical cohesion. Even their narrow DFB-Pokal defeat to Bayer Leverkusen could not overshadow the broader trend: Dortmund have scored 11 goals in their last four matches, and few teams in Europe currently carry such threat going forward.
Their Champions League numbers further reinforce their resurgence. The 2023/24 runners-up have netted 17 goals across five league-phase fixtures this season, a tally second only to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, who have 19. A victory on Wednesday would put Dortmund firmly on course for a top-eight finish, which guarantees a direct route into the round of 16 and avoids the perilous playoff round.
While confidence is rising in the Dortmund camp, the mood in Norway is far less buoyant. Bodo/Glimt enter this match desperately clinging to faint hopes of progression. With only two points from five matches, their European campaign is edging toward an early conclusion.
Both of those points came in their opening two fixtures; since then, Kjetil Knutsen’s side have slumped to three consecutive defeats against Galatasaray, AS Monaco, and Juventus, conceding costly goals at key moments.
Their domestic disappointment compounds the pressure. Bodo/Glimt narrowly missed out on the Eliteserien title just a fortnight ago, finishing one point behind Viking in a dramatic conclusion to the Norwegian season. That heartbreak, coupled with a challenging Champions League group, has left Superlaget struggling for momentum at the worst possible time.
With Dortmund chasing qualification and Bodo/Glimt fighting for European survival, Wednesday night promises a clash of contrasting ambitions, and potentially, contrasting levels of quality. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
The main talking point surrounding Borussia Dortmund in recent weeks has centred on the continued absence of 19-year-old prodigy Julien Duranville, who has yet to play a single minute this season. Niko Kovac addressed the issue directly prior to the weekend, stating that others are simply better at the moment, suggesting the youngster will have to wait longer for competitive action.
His omission is not due to injury but down to coaching preference, and Duranville remains on the fringes of the first-team setup. In terms of injuries, Dortmund’s primary concern is Niklas Sule, who is still managing a troublesome toe problem. The German international has not been risked in recent fixtures and remains doubtful for the midweek Champions League clash.
Aside from Sule, Kovac has a relatively stable squad available, and no suspensions hinder his selection options. With Borussia Dortmund targeting another high-scoring European outing against Bodo/Glimt, Kovac is expected to continue with the 3-4-2-1 system that has brought improved attacking cohesion in recent matches.
The likely lineup will see Gregor Kobel start in goal, protected by a back three of Aaron Anselmino on the right of defence, Emre Can in the central sweeper role, and Ramy Bensebaini on the left. In midfield, Yan Couto should operate as the right wing-back, with Marcel Sabitzer and Bellingham controlling the central areas, while Maximilian Beier features as the left wing-back.
Ahead of them, Julian Brandt and Fabio Silva are expected to line up as dual attacking midfielders, operating between the lines and supporting the main striker. Leading the attack will be in-form forward Serhou Guirassy, whose prolific form this season makes him the focal point of Dortmund’s offensive play.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anselmino, Can, Bensebaini; Couto, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Beier; Brandt, Silva; Guirassy
Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt make the trip to Germany with a significant defensive absence, as centre-back Jostein Gundersen is suspended after receiving a red card in the early minutes of their defeat to AS Monaco at the start of November. His absence forces a reshuffle in the back line at a time when the Norwegian club can ill afford instability.
Beyond that, the visitors have no major injury concerns, but they do carry two disciplinary risks into the match. Midfielder Sondre Auklend and captain Patrick Berg are both one yellow card away from suspension. Given Bodo/Glimt’s precarious position in the standings, this is unlikely to alter their tactical approach, as they must chase points regardless of individual risk.
For the match at Signal Iduna Park, Kjetil Knutsen is expected to maintain the team’s familiar 4-3-3 structure, prioritising compactness out of possession and rapid transitions through their wide forwards. Nikita Haikin will start in goal, with a defensive line of Fredrik Sjovold at right-back, Odin Bjortuft stepping in at centre-back, Haitam Aleesami partnering him centrally, and Fredrik Bjorkan returning to his natural left-back role.
In midfield, captain Patrick Berg will anchor the trio from the holding position, supported by Hakon Evjen on the right side of central midfield and Sondre Brunstad Fet on the left. The front three should consist of Ole Didrik Blomberg operating on the right wing, Andreas Helmersen leading the line as the centre-forward, and Jens Petter Hauge providing pace, creativity and cutting runs from the left flank. Their attacking threat will rely heavily on quick combinations and exploiting space behind Dortmund’s wing-backs.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Bjorkan; Berg, Evjen, Fet; Blomberg, Helmersen, Hauge
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have scored 17 goals in the Champions League league phase, giving them the second-best attack in the competition this season. Only PSG (19) have scored more.
- Bodo/Glimt have taken just two points from their five Champions League matches, failing to win any of their last three, with a combined goal difference of – seven in that period.
- Dortmund have won three of their last four matches in all competitions, scoring 11 goals, and keeping two clean sheets in that run.
- Bodo/Glimt have never beaten Borussia Dortmund, and have not won away to a German club in European competition since 2020.
- Signal Iduna Park remains a fortress, and Borussia Dortmund have lost only one of their last 14 home matches in major European competitions.
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
Guirassy arrives at this fixture as Borussia Dortmund’s most decisive attacking weapon, and his influence could once again prove pivotal. The Guinea international has adapted seamlessly to life in Dortmund, offering a rare blend of power, intelligent movement, and ruthless finishing that makes him a nightmare for defenders.
Guirassy’s ability to occupy centre-backs, create space for Borussia Dortmund’s attacking midfielders, and finish chances from tight angles has been central to the German outfit’s recent resurgence. Whether it is linking up with Julian Brandt between the lines or attacking crosses at the near post, he continuously finds ways to impact games.
Against a struggling Bodo/Glimt defence that has already conceded heavily in the Champions League league phase, Guirassy’s aerial strength, physicality, and penalty-box instincts could make him the most dangerous player on the pitch. If Dortmund are to continue their push for a top-eight finish, expect Guirassy to be at the heart of their attacking output.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Bodo/Glimt
Borussia Dortmund come into this fixture with confidence, momentum, and far superior quality across the pitch. Their attack has been firing on all cylinders, 17 goals in five Champions League league-phase matches, and Niko Kovac’s side now look far closer to the team that reached last season’s final.
Bodo/Glimt, by contrast, have struggled badly in this competition. With just two points from five games, three straight defeats, and a defence that has repeatedly been exposed at this level, their prospects of causing an upset at Signal Iduna Park appear slim. Missing Jostein Gundersen through suspension only further weakens their structure at the back.
Borussia Dortmund’s pressing intensity, variety in attack, and confidence in front of goal should overwhelm a Bodo/Glimt side low on belief and running out of time to salvage their European campaign.