Europa League, League phase, Wednesday, 25/09/2024 at 6:45 pm
On the Betano app, I almost inevitably had to place my Bodö/Glimt betting tip these days. Incidentally, this assumes a lively game and a fast flow of the ball on one of the northernmost artificial turf pitches in Europe.
The reason is quite simple! The award-winning bookmaker has not only won over my heart and that of my betting friends, but is also the official sponsor of the guest team and the 2024/25 Europa League. What a statement!
The Portuguese league does not enjoy the greatest reputation at UEFA, that is for sure. Either that or the four-year ranking shows no mercy to the Iberians.
FC Porto may have finished third in the previous season and also secured the Taça de Portugal, but it was still not enough for the Champions League, only for the Europa League.
The 2004 CL winners are actually one of those teams that can regularly compete in the later rounds of the Champions League. However, according to the current Europa League odds, they have at least earned the chance to win this competition.
In the domestic league, things have been going well for Porto so far: five wins from six games is an impressive record.
But the 2-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon at the end of August suggests that this season, they will only be good for one of the lower rungs on the podium.
The situation in Norway is particularly exciting. The Aspmyra Stadium in Bodø/Glimt is almost on the Arctic Circle. And that brings with it special challenges: cold, harsh conditions and a pitch that is difficult to play on on rainy days.
It can quickly become uncomfortable for southern European teams like Porto when they have to play on such terrain.
The stadium’s location is unique. So close to the Arctic Circle, teams will be battling not only the opposition but also the elements.
Wind, cold and an unfamiliar atmosphere can make for a real home advantage. The venue itself is small, with only around 8,000 seats, but it has a reputation for becoming a fortress when the Norwegians play there.
And the data suggests that this is not just theory. In regular time, the yellow have lost only one of their last twelve European home games, a 1-0 defeat to Club Brugge in the 2023/24 UECL group stage.
Incidentally, Bodø/Glimt are on the verge of becoming Norwegian champions again, which should comfort the fans after just missing out on Champions League qualification against Red Star Belgrade.
With a comfortable seven-point lead over second-placed Brann Bergen, the Eliteserien 2024/25 should go to the “Yellow Horde” for the second year in a row.
Bodø/Glimt have won each of their last eight home competitive matches, although it can be argued that, apart from Red Star Belgrade (2-1), they have not defeated any clubs that could match the Portuguese.
That is true and it is also the reason why I will use the Betano promo code in combination with a “both teams to score” bet and not with a home win bet.
The indications that the Norwegians will score at least once are much more convincing.
Note: In the calendar year 2024, they scored in all of their 16 home matches across all competitions – even when Ajax Amsterdam were guests here.
The Bodö/Glimt Porto odds on most sports betting apps are almost a bit too even for me to bet on a home win here.
Porto is better quality and an away win quote of 2.00 justifies believing in the playing abilities of the “Dragao”, even if the conditions on Wednesday will not be easy as is well known.
Meanwhile, I consider the aforementioned Both Teams To Score bet, which in my opinion represents a much more promising Bodö/Glimt Porto and is currently trading at odds of 1.55, to be an interesting proposition.
Another interesting statistic: Only one of Bodo/Glimt’s regular Europa League games has been decided by more than one goal so far.
Conclusion: In my Bodø/Glimt Porto prediction, I am tipping “both to score”.
A victory for the Norwegians would be a surprise for me, which is why I would demand a home win quote of 4.00 or more from the bookmakers.
However, since I don’t get this, I choose the more attractive offer with a higher probability of occurrence: both teams score. That sounds like a solid alternative to me!
My tip: Both teams score
