Bodo/Glimt have become the nightmare Champions League away day – here’s why

Bodo/Glimt are on the cusp of a historic qualification to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with a trip to their Aspmyra Stadion in the Arctic Circle becoming one of the most feared in Europe. Here’s why the 8,270 capacity venue is earning that fearsome reputation.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side have provided the feel-good story of the Champions League this season, posting five successive wins to put them on the verge of the last eight.

On Wednesday, their run continued with a thumping 3-0 win over Sporting CP that gives them an excellent chance to progress when they travel to Lisbon next week.

Goals from Sondre Fet, Ole Didrik Blomberg and Kasper Hogh carried them to a healthy first-leg advantage, and while Bodo manager complained that they were “too open” in the second period of the game, he was broadly delighted with his side.

“We feel really good. I liked how we played, especially how we played in the first half. They gave us a lot of space and I think we took the space. We found Patrick Berg. We have higher numbers when we attack in the last third, so it was a good game for us,” Knutsen said after the game.

Bodo/Glimt’s impressive form continues

Although Bodo/Glimt’s European campaign started in spectacular fashion as they overcame Sturm Graz 5-0 at home in a playoff back in August, there was little appreciation what that result would be the start of.

The Austrians were simply the first victims at what is proving to be one of Europe’s most inhospitable venues, even for the very best.

Monaco and Juventus did win in Bodo during the group stage, but since the turn of the year, they have recorded wins over Manchester City, Inter Milan and, of course, Sporting. On each occasion, they have netted three goals.

‘Ridiculous’ Bodo/Glimt trip through the eyes of a star

Former Arsenal and Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner, ever known for his outspoken attitude during his playing career, has revealed just why the trip to Bodo/Glimt is such a difficult one for players.

“It’s f****** freezing. It’s boring. It’s grey. It’s black. It’s a ridiculous dressing room,” the Rosenborg veteran explained to the podcast Stolpe Ind.

“Then the big stars sit there and earn 2-5 million kroner a week and look at each other. Because I’ve been in the situation, I’ll be honest with you.

“You sit there and look over at your buddy: ‘I hope you’re having a great day, because I’m not there. I’m not there at all.’”

And Bendtner did not even touch on the artificial surface, which is commonplace in Scandinavian football.

A major mental challenge

Mentally, the away day is a huge challenge, sports psychology consultant Anders Flemming Bendixen explained to DR.

“You can be affected by our human ability to travel in time and space. This means that you can more or less consciously imagine what it’s like to play up there and build up some scenarios that can be too violent, and then you are burdened by it before and during,” he explained prior to the Sporting clash.

“You can also be too poorly prepared, and then you’re hugely surprised when you’re in the middle of it. Both of these things can be disruptive to performance.

“I’m sure Bodo/Glimt are looking at the weather forecast right now and thinking: ‘We’d rather have four degrees below zero than four degrees above zero against Sporting.’”

In the end, Bodo did not get the freezing conditions that they might have wanted to face the Portuguese side, but even that was not enough to knock them off their stride and prevent the long journey to the Arctic Circle from becoming an even more notorious trip for travelling sides.

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