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Recommended bets
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Bodø/Glimt have won their last seven European home matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding just two. AZ have won both of their previous ties against Norwegian clubs, beating Start in 1981 and Aalesund 30 years later.
Over 2.5 goals is 7/10.
Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score is 20/21.
Bodø/Glimt to win and over 2.5 goals is 10/3.
Ola Solbakken has scored six times in UEFA competition already this season. He is 9/1 to break the deadlock and 11/4 to net anytime.
Match preview
Will Bodø/Glimt’s fairytale European adventure continue?
Last summer, they qualified for a UEFA group stage for the very first time, beating Valur Reykjavík, Prishtina and Žalgiris Vilnius in qualifiers.
Once there, Kjetil Knutsen won all three home games and drew all three on the road, memorably hammering Roma 6-1 in the Arctic Circle in October.
This set up a first knockout round tie meetings Celtic, in which Bodø/Glimt emphatically won 3-1 in Glasgow.
A week later, Ola Solbakken and Hugo Vetlesen got the goals as they completed a 5-1 aggregate drubbing of the Scottish giants.
Before this season, Bodø/Glimt’s best-ever European run was reaching Cup Winners’ Cup second round in 1978. so they’ve more than eclipsed that.
The win over Celtic was made all the more impressive because their new league season doesn’t start until 3 April.
They were supposed to face Aalesunds FK on Saturday in the Norwegian Cup, but the home side were forced to withdraw.
Thus, Kjetil Knutsen’s side have only played that tw0-legged tie against Celtic since a draw in Luhansk way back on 9 December.
Will they now win an eighth consecutive European home game?
AZ Alkmaar meanwhile are aiming to reach a fifth European quarter-final this century, after 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2014, only actually winning the first of this quartet.
The Cheeseheads began this campaign in the Europa League play-offs where they were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Celtic, losing 2-0 in Glasgow before a 2-1 victory at home.
This saw Pascal Jansen’s side drop into the Europa Conference League where they cruised to top spot in Group D, above Randers, Jablonec and Cluj.
Domestically, AZ have won their last five Eredivisie games so are fourth, which would be enough to guarantee European football next season.
So, they’re certainly in great form but this’ll be a tough challenge.
Can AZ break Bodø/Glimt’s formidable home record?
Bodø/Glimt team news
The hosts do not have any players suspended for this one but centre-back Marius Høibråten is one booking away from suspension.
In terms of transfers, key players Erik Botheim, Patrick Berg and Elias Hoff Melkersen all left the club in January for a combined €10 million.
Brice Wembangomo, Amahl Pellegrino, Anders Konradsen, Gilbert Koomson and Runar Espejord all came in the door on free transfers.
Wembangomo and Pellegrino were exceptional combining down the left at Celtic Park, while Espejord scored just six minutes into his debut.
Ola Solbakken is the other danger man having already netted six times in Europe this season.
AZ team news
As for AZ, talismanic midfielder Dani de Wit and key centre-back Pantelis Chatzidiakos are walking the yellow card tightrope.
The latter will line-up alongside Bruno Martins Indi who helped Netherlands win bronze at the World Cup eight years ago.
In midfield, Tijjani Reijnders could get the nod the over Peer Koopmeiners as Jordy Clasie’s midfield partner, supporting de Wit.
Vangelis Pavlidis will lead the line, looking to add to his 15 goals this season.
Eredivisie table:
Eliteserien table:
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