Bodø/Glimt hosted Lazio last Thursday in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg and succeeded in playing one of their best games this season while winning 2-0 and getting a very important advantage over their Italian opponents ahead of the second leg.
This tactical analysis will cover what happened in the first leg, with a primary focus on Bodø/Glimt’s strengths and exceptional attacking performance.
The analysis will also reserve a section that explores Lazio’s errors and studies the tactics and solutions that need to be used in the second leg to bring Lazio back into the game and snatch the qualification ticket.
Bodø/Glimt Vs Lazio Lineups
Bodo/Glimts Kjetil Knutsen started the match according to the 4-3-3 formation with Nikita Haikin as a goalkeeper, Fredrik Sjøvold as a right-back, Odin Bjørtuft and Jostein Gundersen as centre-backs, Fredrik André Bjørkan as a left-back, Patrick Berg, Håkon Evjen and Ulrik Saltnes as central midfielders, Ole Didrik Blomberg and former Milan’s Jens Petter Hauge as wingers, with Kasper Høgh being the team’s striker.
On the other hand, Lazios Marco Baroni opted for the 4-2-3-1 formation with Christos Mandas as a goalkeeper, Elseid Hysaj as a right-back, Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli as centre-backs, and Adam Marušić as a left-back.
In midfield, Baroni used both Matías Vecino and Mattéo Guendouzi as central midfielders, Mattia Zaccagni and Gustav Isaksen as wingers, Pedro as an advanced playmaker and Boulaye Dia as the team’s striker.
Bodø/Glimt’s Exceptional Attacking Performance
Bodø/Glimt put on one of the most outstanding performances of their continental season against Lazio.
They were very dangerous and continuously threatened the Biancoceleste’s defence, whether with penetrations from the wings, quick short-passing combinations between Hauge, Blomberg, Høgh, or with additional support from the creative midfielders Saltnes and Evjen.
It is sufficient to say that Saltnes, who scored both Bodø/Glimt’s goals, was aware of the attacking input from the team’s midfielders.
Bodø/Glimt could tire Lazio’s defence with interceptions in their opponent’s own half and by launching quick counter-attacks relying on the talent of their attacking players.
Many of Bodø/Glimt’s counterattacks were very dangerous for Lazio’s defence, and it was obvious to everyone that Lazio’s defence could not stop Bodø/Glimt’s attempts.
It was only thanks to Mandas saving many of Bodø/Glimt’s shots that Lazio even remained in the game.
The following opportunity highlights Berg’s role in intercepting the ball and launching quick counterattacks with passes directed automatically to the wings, where Hauge and Blomberg are used as lethal weapons.
In this case, Hauge received the ball from Saltnes, who attracted the defenders to him by joining the box while passing to Hauge.
This allowed him the needed space and time to enter the box, dribble past Guendouzi, and opt for a curved shot that could have scored if Mandas was not having a good day.
Jens Petter Hauge’s Dangerous Penetrations
Moreover, attacking with numbers and intensively arriving inside the box made Lazio’s defence suffer as it confused their marking system.
It made it complicated for them to guess the receiving player.
In fact, Bodø/Glimt’s rhythm was much higher than that of Lazio in this match, and the players passing and movement with and without the ball served Bodø/Glimt much more than Lazio since Bodø/Glimt’s players were faster and more intelligent on many occasions.
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