Carl Starfelt says Celtic won’t underestimate ‘tough’ Bodo/Glimt as he assesses Conference League chances
CARL STARFELT has warned that Celtic are in for a tough tie against Bodo/Glimt after they were paired with the Norwegian champions in the UEFA Conference League draw.
Celtic avoided some sides of greater renown in the shape of Tottenham Hotspur or Vitesse Arnhem, Slavia Prague and Partizan Belgrade, but Starfelt says there is no chance that his team will underestimate the shock winners of the last two Norwegian titles.
Bodo/Glimt may have been relatively unknown outside of Norway before this season, but Starfelt believes that their thumping 6-1 home win over Roma, as well as their draw against Jose Mourinho’s men in the Italian capital, is all the evidence anyone should need about the size of the task at hand for Ange Postecoglou’s men.
“It’s a tough draw,” he told the Celtic website. “I’ve some friends playing in the Norwegian League, so I’ve been following them and I know it’s a very good team that has done very good over the past two seasons.
“They like to play a bit like ourselves, with lots of possession and a very high press. They have a lot of energy and like attacking football, so it will be an interesting tie with both teams trying to dominate the ball.
“They’ve had some good games in Europe against Roma, so it will be a tough game.
“They have an artificial pitch, but I think that can suit us as in Scandinavia at that time of the year you play on either very bad grass or artificial, so I will take that option.”
While disappointed to have dropped out of the Europa League, Starfelt is optimistic about Celtic’s chances of going far in UEFA’s newest competition.
“We’re very excited to go into the Conference League,” he said.
“It’s a new competition and you don’t know too much about it, but you can see from the teams left that it’s a big one.
“We’re looking forward to it and hopefully we can progress as far as possible.”
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