Italian side Napoli take on Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples on Tuesday. The Partenopei are yet to earn a point in this season’s competition.

Napoli fell to a surprise 1-0 loss away to Venezia in their most recent Serie A encounter on Saturday, with Akor Adams’ 49th-minute goal proving to be the winner for the home side in new coach Davide Nicola’s first game in charge at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo.

With three wins, one draw, and three losses in their first seven top-flight games, the Partenopei are struggling for consistency and have 10 points in midtable.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri has not done as well as expected since taking over at the beginning of the season, particularly in the UEFA Champions League, where they have lost both games thus far.

Napoli lost 1-0 to Arsenal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on the opening day in a hard-fought match that was decided by an excellent 75th-minute strike from Gunners captain Martin Ødegaard.

The second matchday didn’t provide the Italians with better fortunes, and they lost 3-1 away to Spanish club Villarreal on Tuesday.

Napoli took the lead early on through Amir Rrahmani, but the hosts fought back and completed an impressive comeback thanks to goals from Georges Mikautadze, Santiago Mouriño, and Tani Oluwaseyi.

The Azzurri are 32nd in the league-phase standings without a point to their name.

Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt have made a name for themselves as European giant-killers in recent seasons, beating the likes of Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Atletico Madrid on Europe’s biggest stage.

The Glimt are top of the Norwegian Eliteserien at the moment, with 56 points from 23 games, tied with rivals Viking but ahead by virtue of a slightly superior goal difference.

Coach Kjetil Knutsen guided his side to a 2-0 away victory over HamKam on Saturday in the league, with first-half goals from Joel Mugisha Mvuka and Ole Didrik Blomberg securing the win.

On the continental stage, Bodo/Glimt have had mixed results in their opening two matches, both played against German opponents.

The Norwegian side lost 5-0 to heavyweight Bayern Munich on 10 September in Germany, but they bounced back well to defeat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at Aspmyra Stadion on Wednesday.

Fredrik Sjøvold scored the winner in the 52nd minute, earning Bodo/Glimt three points to put them 24th in the league-phase table.

Napoli vs Bodo/Glimt head-to-head stats and key numbers

Napoli and Bodo/Glimt have met twice before, in the first round of the 1976-77 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, a competition that no longer exists.
Napoli won both of those games, 2-0 away and 1-0 at home, keeping clean sheets in both encounters.
Bodo/Glimt’s UEFA Champions League opponents this season in the league phase will include Atlético Madrid, LOSC Lille, Club Brugge, RC Lens, and LASK.
After this game, Napoli will play against Manchester City, Club Brugge, FC Porto, Sabah FK, and Viking FK in Champions League action.

Napoli vs Bodo/Glimt prediction

Napoli are expected to dominate possession at home, while trying to break down a stubborn Norwegian block. Bodo/Glimt are likely to adopt a defensive stance as the away team, absorbing pressure and hitting back on the counterattack.

Bodo/Glimt continue to be a thorn in the side of many teams, but Napoli are due a win and should pull that off at home.

Prediction: Napoli 2-1 Bodo/Glimt