Bodo/Glimt have the chance to make club history when they travel to the Europa League's biggest underachievers Nice at the Allianz Riviera on Thursday night.
While Nice are already surprisingly eliminated, Bodo/Glimt are on the cusp of reaching the last 16 of the Europa League for the first time in their history.
Match preview
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In Nice's first encounter against a Norwegian club, and Bodo/Glimt's first trip to France, this fixture represents the first meeting between two sides from those nations in almost a decade, after Saint-Etienne and Rosenborg drew twice in the group stage of this competition back in 2015.
Visitors Bodo/Glimt are most likely going to need more than a point if their dreams of a top-eight finish are to be realised here though.
The stats do not look good for their prospects either, as they are notoriously poor travellers on the continent, winning just three of their 24 away matches in the main draw of a UEFA competition.
Kjetil Knutsen's side did win away at Braga on matchday three though, a crucial three points in their current tally of 13, and nine of those points have been won despite going behind - a competition-high.
After coming from behind to beat Porto on matchday one, Bodo/Glimt have also completed comebacks in their last two Europa League matches, getting the better of both Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Besiktas.
The Yellow Horde remain out in the cold though, after sealing the Eliteserien title at the start of December, their league campaign does not start until the end of March, making a lengthy run in Europe appear difficult with very little match practice to accompany that.
Sitting in 10th, one point off the top eight, qualification for the playoffs is definitely assured, but a win should guarantee progression directly to the last 16.
Bodo/Glimt reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League back in 2021-22, eventually losing to Roma, but this would arguably be a bigger achievement, given the step up in quality in the Europa League.
Nice have not shown any of the quality they are capable of though, in what has been a disastrous UEL campaign from start to finish.
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After early draws against Real Sociedad and Twente, things have just gone from bad to worse, and yet another defeat at Elfsborg last week means they are still without a win in the league phase.
Only Dynamo Kyiv are below 35th-placed Nice in the standings, and the French side have won just one of their last 16 matches in this competition - against Hapoel Be'er Sheva over four years ago.
After losing all four away games across the league phase, being back at home could provide more fortune, especially given how strong their domestic form has been, and that continued with a 2-0 win over Marseille here on Sunday to move them into Ligue 1's top four.
In the hope of not embarrassingly finishing last in the 36-team standings, Franck Haise's side need to win to make absolutely sure of avoiding that, and that would also see them halt a potentially all-time record club winless run at home in Europe, which currently stands at four matches.
Team News
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After going off early against Lille just over a week ago, Pablo Rosario has missed the last two matches, and is unlikely to return here, while the man filling in for him at present, loan-signing Baptiste Santamaria, is currently unregistered in Europe.
Sofiane Diop will return from suspension after missing the Marseille win, but Terem Moffi (knee), Morgan Sanson (ankle) and Jeremie Boga (muscle) remain sidelined for the hosts.
Bodo/Glimt are without long-term injured quartet Gaute Vetti, Syver Skeide, Daniel Bassi and Samuel Burakovsky, with the latter edging closer to a return, but not being registered in their Europa League squad.
The same can be said for recent £1m signing Ole Blomberg, who arrived from Brann earlier this month, but will not be registered until the knockout stages.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Dupe; Mendy, Abdelmonem, Nandjou; Louchet, Bouanani, Camara, Diop, Bard; Cho, Moukoko
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Haikin; Sjovold, Gundersen, Bjortuft, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Saltnes; Hauge, Hogh, Maatta
We say: Nice 1-2 Bodo/Glimt
Nice are set to name a heavily-rotated XI with elimination already confirmed, and that could open the door for Bodo/Glimt to earn a hugely important, and rare, away win in Europe, that would take them into the last 16.
These two sides have committed the fewest fouls of all 36 clubs in the Europa League, and that could be evident again, with nothing on the line for the home side, who also fell to a disappointing defeat last midweek.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
