Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Bodo/Glimt - prediction, team news, lineups

Borussia Dortmund will be looking to take a major step towards a top-eight finish in the league phase of the Champions League when they welcome Norway’s Bodo/Glimt to Signal Iduna Park this Wednesday night.

The German outfit currently boast the second-best attack in the competition, while their upcoming opponents are on the brink of an early elimination.

Match preview

Borussia Dortmund endured a slight hiccup in November, going on a three-match winless run which saw them lose ground on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race.

One of those three games also came in the Champions League, as the Prussians lost 4-1 away at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.

Since then, Niko Kovac and his men appear to have found their rhythm again, winning three of their last four outings – including an impressive 4-0 thumping of Villarreal over a fortnight ago.

Putting aside their 1-0 DFB Pokal defeat to Bayer Leverkusen last week, Dortmund have scored 11 goals in four games and look very dangerous in the attacking department.

The 2023-24 Champions League runners-up have scored 17 goals across their five league phase matches – a number only bettered by defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who boast 19.

Victory on Wednesday would push Dortmund closer to securing a place in the top eight, which comes with the added bonus of an automatic place in the round of 16.

While Dortmund can almost taste the knockout stages, Bodo/Glimt are not even getting a whiff.

The Norwegian outfit are languishing towards the bottom of the standings after picking up just two points from their five Champions League matches.

Both those points came from their opening two games, though since then Kjetil Knutsen’s men have gone on to lose their next three outings against Galatasaray, Monaco and Juventus.

Sitting four points adrift of the top 24, Bodo/Glimt’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages of a major European tournament for a fifth straight season are beginning to fade.

Adding to their recent frustration, Superlaget missed out on the Norwegian title a couple of weeks ago, finishing the season in second place – just one point behind newly crowned kings, Viking.

Borussia Dortmund Champions League form:

D W W L W

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

D D W W L W

Bodo/Glimt Champions League form:

D D L L L

Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

L L W W L W

Team News

One of the biggest talking points in the Borussia Dortmund squad concerns the continuing omission of 19-year-old superstar Julien Duranville.

The winger is yet to make an appearance for the club this season, with Kovac telling the media that "others [in the team] are simply better."

When it comes to injuries, Niklas Sule is the main source of concern, with the defender still struggling with a toe injury.

Bodo/Glimt, on the other hand, head into Wednesday’s fixture without the suspended Jostein Gundersen, who picked up a red card against Monaco at the start of November.

Sondre Auklend and Patrick Berg are just one booking away from a suspension, though with the team on the brink of elimination anyway, that is unlikely to change their approach.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Anselmino, Can, Bensebaini; Yan Couto, Sabitzer, Bellingham, Beier; Brandt, Fabio Silva; Guirassy

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Bjorkan; Berg; Evjen, Brunstad Fet; Blomberg, Helmersen, Hauge

We say: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Bodo/Glimt

Borussia Dortmund are in good form, and they will be looking to cap off the year with a series of solid victories.

Bodo/Glimt, on the other hand, have struggled swimming in the deep waters of the Champions League, and we expect their losing run to continue in Germany.

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