Bodo Glimt – Monaco 04-11-2025

Bodø/Glimt host Monaco in a crucial Champions League match where both teams are fighting for important points in the group stage. The home team has been strong on their own turf, while Monaco has struggled to deliver on the road. Everything is set for an even and goal-filled match in Norway's own witch's cauldron. 

Bodø/Glimt – Sharp attacking players 

With Aspmyra at their backs, the yellow-clad team is finally ready to rise from the Eliteserien level to fight with blood and tears against the guests who come all the way from France. There have been some ups and downs lately for the home team, but I still believe that the pursuit of making it big in Europe trumps tired legs from the Eliteserien. 

Bodø have shown several times that they can compete with bigger teams – most recently against Galatasaray, where they controlled the game for much of the match. This time they get to play at home in their own cold and on their own artificial turf, which is a big advantage for a team that is used to wearing plastic under their boots. 

Currently, Kjetil Knutsen's men are in 26th place – just above Monaco in 27th place out of a total of 36 Champions League teams. For the first time in a long time, Bodø are actually favorites to win a CL match. If Knutsen manages to secure three points at home, they have a great opportunity to climb several places in the table – which would be very big. 

After Bodø expanded their squad, they are no longer so affected by minor injuries or players who have to sit out matches. Nevertheless, the defense is fragile at times. It is clear that Jostein Gundersen would have been good to have in place in the stopper role he has earned. Apart from this, there are no major injury problems, but there may still be some rotation in the starting eleven for once. 

The super Dane Høgh has not been able to deliver lately and has been substituted earlier and earlier in the matches. The Viking from Denmark, who has long scored goals for Bodø as the Eliteserien's little Håland, has not quite got it right. He is unlikely to be benched from the start, but he will have to step up a few notches to not lose his place to fellow striker Helmersen, who has recently delivered both goals and assists - including a goal against Brann and an assist against Vålerenga. 

Another player I hope we see more of is Bassi – a young and promising lad with an incredible amount of creativity on the right wing. I really like the creativity we get on both wings with JP Hauge on the left and Bassi on the right. With Høgh or Helmersen in the middle to block their crosses, Bodø will be really dangerous in attack – assisted by Patrick Berg and company in midfield, who win the ball back faster than you can snap. 

The hope that the hosts will be able to score some goals against Monaco, who have delivered poorly with a 0–0 against Tottenham and a loss against Paris FC, is great. I am sure that Bodø will go straight for the visitors' throats as soon as the referee blows the whistle on their own home field – with the twelfth man cheering from the stands. Norway has been waiting for this for a long time, and it is reflected in the attendance at these matches; it is almost impossible to get tickets. 

Monaco – A nut to crack 

With only two points after three matches in the Champions League, the visitors are probably starting to get impatient. They know that leaving Aspmyra without points is not good enough – no matter how feared the pitch is, even outside Europe. 

It hasn't been a great season for the visitors in France either, where they are in 5th place in Ligue 1. The team sometimes concedes a lot of goals, while other times it stops completely in the back rows. I find it hard to believe that the team will be able to keep a clean sheet against Bodø. 

After the loss to Paris FC at the weekend, morale is probably not at its peak, and that was hardly what coach Pognoccoli wanted before such an important match as the match at Aspmyra. At the same time, the guests have shown that they can hold their own against strong teams, with a draw against City after a late penalty and a 0–0 against a defensive Tottenham that is still developing. 

I have a hypothesis that Monaco will be compact against a team they know likes to run at home. Standing tall against the hosts in the first minutes makes little sense in my eyes, but it is difficult to know until the game actually starts. If this is true, we could get a lot of corners – and we know that Bodø are good at creating corners against teams that are low. This could be an interesting angle for those who like such games. 

All in all, Monaco have at least as much to play for as the hosts in this exciting Champions League match on Norwegian soil. I wouldn't be too optimistic about a draw or an away win, but if the visitors are really on top, we know that Bodø can often be vulnerable to counterattacks if the defense loses focus for a second. 

Monaco's injury list is unfortunately long. The importance of individual players can vary, but it is worth mentioning Mawissa, Vanderson, Eric Dier, Zakaria and Camara. It is the defense in particular that has been affected, which could affect how solid they are at the back. Among them, Eric Dier played against City – a seasoned defender with extensive experience from Tottenham – whom they will now have to manage without. 

Game Selection – Where the Value Lies 

There are many factors to consider in this matchup, but also many possibilities. I believe the corner kick market offers the most value in this match. 

Bodø/Glimt play offensively, especially at home, and they produce a high number of corners against teams that lay low – something Monaco will likely do here. With speed on the wings from Hauge and Bassi, and lots of crosses from the wings, everything is in place for Glimt to force corners early and often. 

The odds of over 4.5 corners to Bodø/Glimt at 1.75 therefore look very interesting. Considering the match picture and the playing style of the hosts, this will be our main bet tonight. 

Main game:

Champions League at 21:00: Bodø Glimt – Monaco: Over 4.5 corners to Bodø Glimt (1.75)