NEC v Bodø/Glimt Champions League Prediction

It remains a strange sensation, but on Wednesday evening the Champions League anthem will ring out across De Goffert in Nijmegen. Having knocked out Olympiakos, another renowned European opponent – Bodø/Glimt – is next on the agenda. Can the Nijmegen side once again rise to the occasion and cause the Norwegians problems with their attacking style of play? We’ll tell you more about this match and treat you to our NEC v Bodø/Glimt prediction. And, of course, the best Champions League betting tips!

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NEC v Bodø/Glimt preview

The Eredivisie’s third-placed side take on the Norwegian team that made a name for themselves last year with victories over Atlético Madrid, Manchester City and Inter Milan. Here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

NEC

In between the tough matches against Olympiacos, NEC lost their first match of the new season in the Eredivisie. At home, SC Telstar proved too strong, winning 2–1. It therefore remained to be seen how the Gelderland side would fare in their away match against newly promoted Willem II. It turned out to be a very straightforward affair, which they ultimately won 4–1. Dick Schreuder’s side played some entertaining football, with Kaj Sierhuis scoring a fantastic goal from a pass by Tjaronn Chery. Can they replicate this performance against Bodø/Glimt?

Bodø/Glimt

NEC secured this 4-1 victory under the watchful eye of Kjetil Knutsen, the Norwegians’ successful manager. He had an incredible season in the Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals. In that campaign, Sporting Lisbon were, miraculously, the strongest one. After 17 matches in the Eliteserien, Norway’s top flight, the team from northern Norway sits top of the table with 41 points. Can the strong Bodø/Glimt side secure a good result in Nijmegen? It’s clear that NEC will need to keep a close eye on several players, including Jens Hauge, Ole Blomberg and Patrick Berg!

Head-to-Head

NEC and Bodø/Glimt have never played each other before. As a result, there is nothing to say about the history between the Dutch and Norwegian sides.

Expected line-ups

NEC (3-4-2-1):

Crettaz, Fonville, Storm, Pereira, Bisschof, Monteiro, Nejasmic, Tahaui, Tadic, Chery, Linssen

Bodø/Glimt (4-3-3):

Haikin, Bjørkan, Gundersen, Bjortuft, Sjøvold, Fet, Berg, Auklend, Hauge, Brynhildsen, Blomberg

NEC v Bodø/Glimt betting tips

Betting tip 1: Over 3.5 goals

On paper, the NEC v Bodø/Glimt match looks set to produce plenty of goals. Especially if we take a closer look at the Norwegians’ European fixtures. Last year, we saw a number of matches end in goal-fests, and they’re happily continuing in the same vein this season. For instance, they recently played against the Belgian side Union St. Gilloise, with those matches ending 3–3 and 3–2. In short: there are plenty of goals. Over 3.5 goals will earn you odds of 2.08.

Betting tip 2: Over 1.5 goals for NEC

It’s clear that NEC like to play attacking football. They demonstrated this both at home and away against Olympiakos. They haven’t managed to score in large numbers just yet, but in the match against Willem II, they really let rip. We think NEC will capitalise on the Norwegians’ occasionally lacklustre defending. After all, it’s no coincidence that they conceded a total of five goals in their matches against the Belgians. We therefore believe that NEC will score at least twice at home. Betting on NEC to score more than 1.5 goals gives you odds of 1.83.

Prediction: NEC v Bodø/Glimt

Final score: NEC 2–2 Bodø/Glimt
As you’ve read, we’re expecting an entertaining match with two teams playing all-out attacking football. Still, it’s very difficult to pick a winner, so we’re going for a 2–2 draw. What do you think?