Bodo Glimt vs Zalgiris Predictions

• Bodo Glimt won 1-0 at home to Zalgiris when they faced off in the Conference League qualifiers last year.
• Bodo Glimt have won their last five home games.
• Zalgiris have conceded just once in their last eight competitive away games and beat Malmo 2-0 on the road in the last round.

Zalgiris can be a nuisance to Norwegians

Bodo Glimt can draw first blood in the Champions League third qualifying round tie with Zalgiris, but they know it won’t be easy. These two clubs are meeting in Europe for the third straight year so there will be little new to be learned about each other.

Last season, the Norwegians came through a tense Europa Conference League qualifier 3-2 on aggregate after being pushed all the way in Lithuania. Zalgiris hit the bar and had several chances to go ahead in the tie, but never quite got their noses in front.

From a punting perspective, Glimt are not to be trifled with at home as they demonstrated when slaying ten-man Linfield 8-0 last week to make it five straight wins at Aspmyra Stadion. But Zalgiris’ solid display against Malmo last week must be reckoned with too, although the Swedish champions clearly bottled their bid to reach the group stages for a second straight year.

Backing the visitors with a +2 handicap appeals here as Glimt are a well-drilled unit with solid defenders and a useful keeper, so may keep the first-leg close enough to give these familiar foes another scare in Vilnius.