Bodo/Glimt manager makes surprise Celtic admission

Celtic were handed a tough tie as they are set to face Bodo/Glimt in the knockout play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Both sides have impressed in Europe this time around. The Hoops managed to get 9 points from their Europa League group despite coming up against Real Betis, Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros. On the other hand, the Norwegian champions hold a 6-1 win over Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma.

Thus, this is expected to be an exciting tie. Although one disadvantage that Bodo/Glimt have going into it is the fact that their season ended in mid-December and as a result, they are currently in pre-season without much match practice.

Of course, they should be accustomed to such a situation by now but even then, one cannot deny that this is far from ideal.

Amidst all this, Bodo/Glimt manager, Kjetil Knutsen, has made a surprise Celtic admission. As reported by the Daily Record, he said:

"“It’s a new situation for us because we are in the beginning of pre-season and we’ve never played a team like Celtic in this time.“That’s the way it is though and for us to have a game against a club like Celtic is actually perfect for us in terms of preparation for the new league season.“But how competitive we will be in the games against Celtic, I don’t know.”"

He also added about his side’s upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League opposition:

"“They are a big club and a good team. Celtic are a typical international team because they like to play attacking football and have many good players, just like Dynamo Kiev.“I have been watching the Celtic games but I will watch more games before we play them.“I have been in Glasgow once and watched Celtic play Aberdeen. I was there on holiday. It was an amazing atmosphere.”"

Celtic will have a tough task on their hands against Bodo/Glimt

Celtic cannot afford to take Bodo/Glimt lightly. They are a very good team and have won back-to-back Norwegian league titles for a reason. Their 6-1 win against AS Roma from earlier on in the campaign also goes to show how good they can be when on top of their game.

Thus, the Hoops must be careful although they must be confident of their own chances as well. Ange Postecoglou’s side have been impressive in Europe this season themselves.

They were minutes away from getting a famous victory in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen, who sit third in the Bundesliga. The Hoops also got a 3-2 win against Real Betis, who are currently third in La Liga ahead of clubs like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Thus, it could prove to be quite an exciting game of football when Celtic and Bodo/Glimt meet each other in February.