Winless Bodo/Glimt will be looking for their first win of the UEFA Champions League campaign when they host Manchester City on Matchday six.
Manchester City will hit the road to square up against Bodo/Glimt with the aim of returning to winning ways after their derby defeat, while the Norwegian club, featuring in their first-ever Champions League campaign, will be looking to get off the mark and keep alive their outside chance of reaching the knockouts.
The home side sit 32nd in the table with three points from six outings. They are four points behind the team in 24th place and will need to win both of their remaining fixtures to stand a chance of progressing beyond the league phase.
After a run of three straight defeats in the Champions League, Bodo/Glimt played out a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in their last European outing back in December. While that result will certainly give them some confidence, going up against Manchester City will not be easy.
Pep Guardiola’s men are fourth in the Champions League table with 13 points from six matches, having recorded four wins, a draw and a defeat. After a surprise loss to Bayer Leverkusen towards the end of November, they secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Madrid in their last European outing.
Manchester City will be looking to build on that result when they face Bodo/Glimt. However, they head into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of city rivals Manchester United. Having been outplayed, Guardiola’s men will be keen to produce a statement performance. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and attempts to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt will be without the services of Jostein Gundersen (suspended) and Haitam Aleesami (hamstring) for this fixture. Apart from the duo, everyone else is available for selection for the home side.
The hosts will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Nikita Haikin will feature in goal. Fredrik Sjovold and Fredrik Bjorkan will be the full-backs, while Villads Nielsen will partner with Odin Bjortuft in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Patrick Berg will take up the holding role, while Hakon Evjen and Sondre Brunstad Fet will be in his support in the centre of the park. The trio will look to ensure the Manchester City midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.
Ole Didrik Blomberg and Jens Petter Hauge will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks, while Kasper Hogh will lead the line for Bodo/Glimt against Pep Guardiola on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Nielsen, Bjortuft, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge
Manchester City
While Pep Guardiola has no fresh injury concerns, he will be without the services of a host of his first-team stars. Josko Gvardiol (shin), John Stones (thigh), Oscar Bobb (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Ruben Dias (hamstring), Nico Gonzalez (thigh), Savinho (knock), Matheus Nunes (illness), Bernardo Silva (suspended), Kalvin Phillips (undisclosed) and Omar Marmoush (AFCON) are all unavailable.
Meanwhile, Phil Foden is also a doubt after picking up an injury to his hand, and winter signings Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo cannot feature in the UEFA Champions League until the knockouts.
Manchester City could line up in a 4-5-1 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will take charge in goal. Rico Lewis and Rayan Ait-Nouri will feature as the full-backs, while Abdukodir Khusanov could pair up with Max Alleyne in the heart of the defence.
Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku will feature out wide on the flanks, while Nico O’Reilly will start alongside Tijjani Reijnders and Divine Mukasa in the centre of the park. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings. Meanwhile, star striker Erling Haaland will continue to lead the line for Manchester City against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ait-Nouri; Cherki, Reijnders, O’Reilly, Mukasa, Doku; Haaland
Key Stats
- This is all set to be the first meeting between the two teams.
- Bodo/Glimt are featuring in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
- Manchester City have only won two out of their six outings in 2026.
- The Norwegian club have failed to win any of their six European games this season.
- Bodo/Glimt are one of the four clubs that are yet to secure a win in the ongoing campaign.
Player to Watch
Jeremy Doku
Doku has only gone from strength to strength since joining Manchester City in the summer of 2023. The young winger has managed to win the trust of Pep Guardiola, and he has been a constant feature in their XI of late. He has been involved in 28 games in the ongoing campaign and has contributed towards 12 goals.
Since only two of those goal contributions have come in the UEFA Champions League, Doku will be eager to put up a strong performance in this fixture and add to his tally. The 23-year-old will certainly trouble the home team with his pace and dribbling skills.
Prediction
Bodo/Glimt 0-3 Manchester City
Manchester City will head into this fixture as clear favourites, despite their recent dip in domestic form. Pep Guardiola’s men are expected to dominate possession and control the tempo, with Erling Haaland leading the charge against a Bodo/Glimt defence that has struggled to cope with elite European opposition.
Given Manchester City’s need for a response after the derby defeat, they are likely to approach this game with added intensity and purpose. Bodo/Glimt will take encouragement from their draw against Borussia Dortmund and will look to stay compact while exploiting moments on the counter.
However, the gulf in quality and experience at this level could prove decisive, especially if Manchester City strike early. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for Guardiola and his charges.
