Champions League
2026-01-28 - Atletico Madrid vs Bodo-Glimt
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Match Day 8
Wednesday 28th January 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Atletico Madrid
Two dropped points on Match Day 7 has just made things a little more challenging in Atletico Madrid's bid to earn a top eight finish for a second year in a row in the new format of the Champions League. There are a host of clubs fighting for what feels to be around four places remaining, and Atletico Madrid are at least one of those going into the final round of Group fixtures this week.
The 1-1 draw in Istanbul last week means Atletico Madrid are 12th in the standings, but they have 13 points on the board which is the same as 6th placed Paris Saint-Germain and so everything will come down the final Match Day. All Diego Simeone's men can do is focus on what they can control and that is winning this games at home where they have a 3-0-0 record in this competition this season having scored 10 goals across those wins.
Atletico Madrid have lost 1 of the last 10 games played in all competitions and they have bounced back from that Super Cup defeat to rivals Real Madrid by winning 3 of the last 4 games. That defeat was on a neutral field and Atletico Madrid's win over Mallorca this past weekend means they have won 13 of the last 14 games at home in all competitions.
Bodo/Glimt
The last time any Norwegian club won a Champions League game in the main competition, not the Qualifiers, was all the way back in 2007, but Bodo/Glimt stunned English Premier League club Manchester City last week. It is a result that gives Bodo/Glimt a chance to prolong their Champions League campaign, while it is a victory that will live long in the memory for the fans.
In normal circumstances the win over Manchester City would have been considered an upset, but it is even more so when you think the Norwegian League is on a break and Bodo/Glimt have not been playing competitive football. They are now 28th in the Champions League table and will need to win here and hope other results go their way if Bodo/Glimt are going to be playing in the Knock Out Rounds beginning next month.
Bodo/Glimt have not played a competitive game since December 10th, but they have lost 1 of the last 6 in all competitions following the 3-1 win over Manchester City. The side showed plenty of resilience and character after coming from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund in the last away Champions League game played last month and so will need to be respected.
Head to Head
This is the first competitive meeting between these clubs.
Prediction
Last season Atletico Madrid finished in the top eight and were 'rewarded' with a Last 16 clash against Real Madrid, which ended in another Champions League narrow defeat to their great rivals.
Despite that, there is a positive about finishing in the top eight of the Champions League Group and avoiding having to play a Knock Out tie in February.
If the League Phase of the competition had ended last week, Atletico Madrid would be due to play either Bayer Leverkusen or Monaco in the Play Off Round of the Knock Out Stages and that would be awkward.
With that in mind, Atletico Madrid will want to maintain strong home form this week and look to earn a win that could yet take them into the top eight- there are a host of clubs that could still end in those positions and Atletico Madrid will simply be looking for a solid home victory to give them the best chance of doing that.
Respect will have to be given to Bodo/Glimt, who showed last week what they can do if they are overlooked.
The win over Manchester City comes at a time when the team are not playing competitive football, which made the performance more impressive, and Bodo/Glimt fought back to draw with Borussia Dortmund away from home on Match Day 6.
Those results will not have gone under the radar at Atletico Madrid, but the Spanish club have been in very strong form at home both domestically and in the Champions League.
It is the form that gives them the edge, while Bodo/Glimt do have everything to play for as they look for three points that may take them through to the Knock Out Rounds. That means there is some pressure on the visiting team and if the Norwegian club have to take risks, Atletico Madrid have more than enough quality to punish them and give the goal difference a boost that may see another top eight finish secured.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Bodo/Glimt
