Bodø/Glimt hosts Sporting this Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at Aspmyra Stadion, at Bodø, at Noruega, in the first leg of the round of 16 of Liga of Campeões of UEFA. The clash starts at 8pm local time (UTC), with Slovak Ivan Kružliak refereeing. The Norwegian team seeks to maintain its surprising campaign in the competition, while the Portuguese club arrives as one of the highlights of the league phase.
Kjetil Knutsen leads Bodø/Glimt in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nikita Haikin in goal. The defense has Fredrik Sjøvold, Odin L. Bjørtuft, Jostein Gundersen and Fredrik A. Bjørkan. In midfield, Sondre Fet, Patrick Berg (captain) and Håkon Evjen play. The attack has Ole D. Blomberg, Kasper Høgh and Jens Petter Hauge. The Norwegian coach maintains the foundation that eliminated strong opponents in the previous phase.
Rui Borges lines up Sporting in 4-2-3-1, with Rui Silva in goal. The defensive line includes Iván Fresneda, Gonçalo Inácio, Ousmane Diomande and Geny Catamo. Morten Hjulmand (captain) and João Simões form the midfielder duo. In the offensive sector, Francisco Trincão, Luís Guilherme and Viktor Gyökeres enter, with Luis Javier Suárez in front. The Portuguese team faces important absences due to suspension and injury.
Bodø/Glimt confirmed lineup
Bodø/Glimt enters the field with maximum strength available in the home match. Nikita Haikin takes over the goal, protected by the defense made up of Sjøvold, Bjørtuft, Gundersen and Bjørkan. Patrick Berg leads the midfield alongside Fet and Evjen, while Hauge, Høgh and Blomberg make up the attacking trio. The Norwegian team maintains tactical consistency to exploit the home advantage in the snow-covered stadium.
Players like Sondre Auklend appear among the reserves and can come in to reinforce the attack or midfield. The team comes from consecutive victories in the competition, which increases confidence for the knockout duel.
Embezzlement and suspensions in Sporting
The Sporting CP deals with significant absences for the first leg. Pedro Gonçalves and Maximiliano Araújo are suspended, while Fotis Ioannidis, Ricardo Mangas and Geovany Quenda are out due to injury. Essas casualties affect options in attack and defense, forcing adjustments in the starting lineup.
Rui Borges counts on the return of some athletes, but needs to manage the squad to maintain balance. The focus remains on defensive solidity and quick transitions to neutralize the opponent’s offensive style.
Where to watch the game live
The live broadcast of the confrontation takes place on HBO Max in streaming, with complete coverage of the match. In some markets, channels such as Paramount+ and CBSSN show the game to an international audience. Fans follow real-time statistics, such as ball possession and shots on goal, through specialized platforms.
Local time in Bodø follows the Norwegian standard, with no adjustments for Brasília. Aplicativos UEFA officials provide up-to-the-minute updates and post-match highlights.
Context of the tie
Bodø/Glimt advances to the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time after a historic campaign in the group stage and play-offs. The team eliminated strong opponents and achieved a positive sequence of results in the European competition.
Sporting CP finished among the best in the league phase and enters as favorites by tradition. The Portuguese club is looking to advance to the quarter-finals and faces the challenge of the synthetic pitch and cold weather in the north of Noruega.
Stadium and referee details
Aspmyra Stadion, in Bodø, hosts the game with limited capacity and weather conditions typical of Ártico. Referee Ivan Kružliak commands the match, assisted by a Slovak team, with a low average number of cards in the competition. The expectation involves a balanced duel between different styles.
- Main referee: Ivan Kružliak (Slovakia).
- Assistants: Branislav Hancko and Ján Pozor.
- Fourth referee: Michal Očenáš.
- VAR: Bastian Dankert and Robert Schröder.
Bodø/Glimt is betting on intensity at home to build an advantage before the second leg in Lisboa. Sporting needs a solid result away from home to define the classification in the second leg.
