Olympiacos Piraeus vs Bodo/Glimt prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-03-12 17:45.
[p]Just one point separated Olympiacos and Bodø/Glimt at the conclusion of the league phase of this UEFA Europa League (UEL) campaign, and yet the opening leg of their Round of 16 tie produced the largest margin of the matchday. Olympiacos suffered the ignominy of becoming the 60th side in UEL history since 2009/10 to lose the first leg of a knockout tie by at least three goals (L 3-0) and are now aiming to become just the second of those 60 to progress in such circumstances. [/p]
[p]As he continues to negotiate the fallout of their first competitive defeat since late October, head coach José Luis Mendilibar has promised his players will leave everything on the pitch in the second leg. Whilst the deficit ahead of them appears insurmountable, Olympiacos are at least undefeated in six continental home games (W4, D2) so will believe in their chances of a miraculous turnaround. [/p]
[p]Bodø/Glimt are already enjoying their most successful UEL campaign in their history and are one step away from becoming the first Norwegian club to ever qualify for the last eight of this competition. Confidence at the club must be near an all-time high after they thrashed an Olympiacos side that manager Kjetil Knutsen described pre-match as the strongest opposition that Bodø/Glimt have faced during his seven-year tenure at the club. [/p]
[p]Thanks to their three-goal advantage, Bodø/Glimt need not be overly concerned about Norwegian clubs being on a four-game losing streak in Greece, nor the fact they didn’t win any of their last three UEL away fixtures (D1, L2). Those two defeats were both by a one-goal margin, and you’d have to go back to a 2022/23 trip to Premier League giants Arsenal for the last time they lost any UEFA game by at least three goals. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Olympiacos’ Rodinei scored from the spot at the weekend, registering the seventh competitive game of this calendar year in which he has scored or assisted (W5, D2). Kasper Høgh has been instrumental to Bodø/Glimt’s success in this competition, netting five goals across their last three UEL wins. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Eight of Olympiacos’ last ten competitive matches saw the winning team record a clean sheet. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]