Bodø / Glimt vs Sporting CP

Bodø/Glimt’s journey to this stage has been one of the tournament’s most surprising stories. After initially struggling in the early part of the campaign, the Norwegian side surged late in the league phase to finish 23rd and secure a qualifying spot for the knockout phase play-offs. Having eliminated Inter following a 5–2 aggregate victory, winning 3–1 at home and 2–1 away, Bodo are now looking to stick one foot in the next round. That success extended Bodø/Glimt’s winning run in the competition to four consecutive matches. During that streak they also recorded impressive victories over major European sides such as Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, leaving them on the verge of history. No Norwegian club has previously managed four straight wins in the Champions League proper, underlining the historic nature of their campaign. This round-of-16 tie will mark the first meeting between Bodø/Glimt and Sporting CP, and it is also the first European Cup clash between Norwegian and Portuguese clubs. The Norwegian side does have a perfect record against Portuguese opposition so far, having defeated FC Porto and SC Braga during last season’s European competitions. Forward Jens Petter Hauge has been a key contributor to their success. The Norwegian international has scored six goals in ten Champions League appearances this season and continues to be a major attacking threat. He will be keen to make a mark when he teams up with Kasper Høgh and Ole Didrik Blomberg at the attacking end of a 4—3—3 setup.

Sporting CP, meanwhile, arrive in the knockout rounds after finishing seventh in the league phase. The Lisbon club are competing in the Champions League proper for the twelfth time and have now reached the round of 16 for the third time in their history. Historically, Sporting has performed well against Norwegian opposition. They have won five of their six previous matches against teams from Norway, keeping clean sheets in five of those games. Despite that record, Sporting’s history in the Champions League round of 16 has been challenging. The Portuguese side have lost both of their previous ties at this stage, including heavy defeats to FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in past editions of the tournament. However, Sporting arrive in solid form, having lost only two of their last nine Champions League matches. They have also shown consistency away from home in Europe, failing to score in just one of their last fourteen away fixtures. They will be looking to find the back of the net once again when they appear in the familiar 4—2—3—1 setup. Luis Suárez is expected to lead the attack.