Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Celtic thrashing Rangers sends Bodo/Glimt message as Norwegian expert gives pessimistic Europa Conference League prediction

Celtic's performance in their win over Rangers has a top Norwegian journalist worried, as he warns "the heart has been ripped out" of Bodo/Glimt.

The Premiership title challengers have been drawn against the team from the Arctic Circle, who thrashed Jose Mourinho's Roma 6-1 in the group stage, in the Europa Conference League.

Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen is hugely respected for his knowledge of football around the globe, obviously including his native Norway.

He tuned in to see Ange Postecoglou's side take Rangers apart in the second derby match of the season, and was hugely impressed with the likes of Reo Hatate.

And that display has him worried for the prospects of the Norwegian champions, who have lost some key men over the winter and face the Hoops in the first leg on February 17.

(SNS Group)

Speaking on The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast Sivertsen said: "I do get some questions from Twitter from Celtic fans, 'Bodo/Glimt, what can we expect?'.

"They obviously tonked Roma and have won consecutive titles. I think last season they really could have given Celtic problems.

"If this game was happening three or four months ago this could have been awkward but what's happened during the winter... we have a summer league in Norway, because we have to.

"And what's happened because of that is players tend to change clubs in the winter, more so than in the summer. So over the winter Bodo/Glimt have lost their chief ball-playing centre-half, they've lost their midfield general, they've lost their starting left-back and their centre-forward.

"So even if you try to replace them and play a few friendlies the heart has really been ripped out of this team.

"So watching Celtic last night, the Norwegian side of me was thinking, 'ooh, this could be difficult for our boys from the north'."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.