Bodo/Glimt will host Ajax in the second leg of the Europa Conference League on Thursday. Ajax gained momentum before their journey to Norway by managing to rescue a 2-2 draw in the rematch last week.
Preview (Bodo/Glimt vs. Ajax)
It was anticipated that Ajax would continue on its upward trajectory under John van T Schip. They returned from the winter break and won three straight games. Ajax is still without a win in four games, having drawn 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven despite their creditable 1-1 performance against Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie. As a result, Ajax is currently eight points off of third place. They will have to fight to qualify for the Europa League next season. Their greatest chance of winning this competition may be to draw even. They are only tied in this tie since two goals were scored in extra time during the first leg.
It is astonishing to note that Ajax has now scored and conceded in 14 straight games. Nobody will bet against that streak ending on Thursday night. Under normal conditions, Bodo/Glimt would have been happy with a draw of 2-2 away against Ajax. But they will be questioning how they let themselves lose such a big lead in Amsterdam. Although Molde’s first competitive game since December contributed to their level of fitness, the Norwegian champions cannot use that as an excuse after reaching the 90-minute mark with a perfect record.
The good news is that Kjetil Knutsen’s team now has a competitive game under their belt and a week to rest before one of their biggest-ever European matches. Even though they made it to the competition’s quarterfinals in 2021–2022, that still stands as their best performance on the continent, and defeating Ajax would put them in a good position to at least double that achievement.
Team News
Odin Bjortuft, who was substituted out in the first leg and was sent off, will undoubtedly miss Bodo/Glimt’s match. Injuries to Sondre Brunstad Fet, Jostein Gundersen, and Albert Gronbaek also occurred during the match. Ulrik Saltnes, Marius Lode, and Oscar Kapscarmo were waiting to join the team. Ajax manager Van’t Schip may go back to a starting lineup that was similar to the one that began the rematch after making some changes to it over the weekend.
Nevertheless, Chuba Akpom was left off the field for that game and did not make an appearance. Instead, Carlos Forbs scored as a replacement against NEC and might start on the left side. Despite his goal in the first leg, midfielder Branco van den Boomen might only be able to find a place among the substitutes.
Bodo/Glimt 2-3 Ajax
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