How will Atlético Madrid line up against Bodø/Glimt?

Atlético Madrid have one final chance to secure a top eight finish in the league phase of this year’s UEFA Champions League — but they’ll need a number of results to go their way.

Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt will be the visitors at the Estadio Metropolitano on Wednesday night, and they will be playing to stay in the competition themselves.

In order for Atleti to make it into the last 16 without having to go through the play-offs, they must first overcome Bodø/Glimt and then hope for at least four teams above them to fair worse in their matches. With all games kicking off at 9pm CET, there will be colchoneros around the world with their eyes on multiple screens.

On paper, Atlético are overwhelming favourites to hold up their end of the bargain and overcome the tournament first-timers, but recent results have seen the Norwegians give themselves hope for another big European upset. Last week they welcomed heavyweights Manchester City up to their artificial pitch in the Arctic Circle, and they dispatched of Pep Guardiola’s team by a 3-1 scoreline. They’ve also managed draws to Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund, so they won’t be afraid of taking on another of the continent’s big dogs in Atleti.

The superlaget also need a win, along with at least draws or losses from four teams above them, should they want to go to the play-offs. It would be a remarkable achievement for a team that plays in front of just 8,200 home fans up in the most northerly part of the world, but they will believe. Under manager Kjetil Knutsen, the club has won a staggering four of the last six league titles, after having never won it before in their 100-plus year history.

Just as it was against Union St Gilloise back in November, this will be the first visit for Bodø/Glimt to the Metropolitano, and the first time Atleti have ever come up against them. The format has allowed for some new faces to be welcomed through the red and white doors, and new challenges for Diego Simeone and his men to overcome.

Team news

Nico González was chosen to accompany El Cholo to the pre-match press conference, which usually indicates that he’ll be involved from the start of the match. He has slightly fallen out of favour on the team’s left side, so will be eager to go out and give his manager reason to give him a run of games. He’ll be on the opposite flank to Giuliano, who recently came third in Golazo’s Top 50 young players from Argentina.

Marc Pubill is expected to maintain his fantastic run in the team; he’s now becoming one of the first names on the team sheet. The defender posted a story on Instagram which had him recovering whilst watching the highlights from the Bodø/Glimt v Manchester City match, suggesting that he’ll be one of the center-backs on Wednesday night. José María Giménez started alongside Pubill in LALIGA at the weekend, but his partnership with Dávid Hancko is becoming one of the most solid in Spain.

In midfield, Johnny Cardoso has been involved more often than not since his return from injury, and may well partner Pablo Barrios over club captain Koke. The need for a new midfielder to replace Conor Gallagher is starting to turn into a desperation, with this week the final chance for Mateu Alemany to bolster the middle of the park. Without reinforcements arriving, there will no doubt be a number of youth-teamers filling out the spaces on the bench.

Alexander Sørloth was once a Bodø/Glimt player, and will be hoping to continue his fine streak of form against his former club. Our very own Norwegian has four goals to his name in 2026 already, but has only netted once in the Champions League for Atleti since he joined in August 2024.

He’ll be up the top with Julián Alvarez, who is looking increasingly desperate to return back to the level he is capable of playing at. Simeone will be unable to rest his fellow Argentine, as Antoine Griezmann will be unavailable due to his ongoing thigh injury.

Giuliano, Pablo Barrios, Robin Le Normand and manager Simeone will all need to be careful not to pick up a yellow card on Wednesday night, as that will cost them a one-match ban for the first leg of the following round.

Predicted lineup

Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Giménez, Hancko; Giuliano, Barrios, Cardoso, Nico; Julián, Sørloth.