Ruben Amorim downplays clear Man Utd boost vs Bodo/Glimt, it can heavily impact the game

Ruben Amorim has downplayed a clear boost that Manchester United will have against Bodo/Glimt in their Europa League clash this week.

Ruben Amorim will lead Manchester United for the second time on Thursday evening, following a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town in his managerial debut.

The Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt will mark Amorim’s first game in the Old Trafford dugout since his appointment earlier this month.

United currently sit 15th in the Europa League standings, three points adrift of the top eight spots needed for automatic progression to the next round.

With just one win and three draws so far, the Reds must improve in their remaining four group-stage fixtures to climb the table and avoid the play-off round before next year’s knockout stages.

Bodo/Glimt clash is good timing for United

Amorim will be delighted to have this game coming so quickly after dropping points in his first outing as United boss.

However, those at Bodo/Glimt will not be as delighted with the timing of the clash and it could impact their preparation.

The Norwegian team are currently top of the Eliteserien table with just one game remaining in their domestic campaign.

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With just one point separating them from second-place Brann, victory in their final game against Lillestrøm on Sunday afternoon is needed to secure the title.

This means that some of their important players could be rested in their travels to Manchester this week as they focus on winning their fourth league title.

Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen has already suggested that he is debating the selection he makes for the Europa League clash, with one eye on the weekend.

“It depends on individual players, playing time and lots of tactical things. There will be an enormous number of different scenarios that you have to think through,” he admitted.

Amorim plays down United advantage

This prospect was brought up to Amorim during his pre-match press conference but the head coach said that he is expecting a difficult game against the Norwegian outfit.

“I’m expecting a very good team,” assured Amorim when asked about the timing of this clash.

“They can win the league this week I think, they run a lot and that’s a very good thing for us at the moment. We need to improve that, so we know that in this game we have to run a lot.

“They have some special players in the wingers, they can play on the pockets very well and they have aura of winning games and this is also because they’re winning all the time.

“I’m expecting a very intense game, a very good game and I hope to see different things. Improve some things we didn’t do so well in the last game, so it will be a good game.”

Ultimately, this is a game that United should be expected to win anyway, but even with the opponent having another focus, they should not underestimate the challenge.

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