FC Bayern kicks off the new Champions League season on Thursday evening. To kick off the group stage, the German record champions will host the Norwegian runner-up, Bodo/Glimt, at the Allianz Arena. After a disappointing 0-0 draw at Schalke, the Munich team is looking to make a statement right away in the Champions League.
After a 5-1 win over VfB Stuttgart and a 4-1 victory against Osnabrück in the DFB Cup, Bayern had to settle for a scoreless draw at FC Schalke 04 on the last Bundesliga matchday. They now hope to deliver the appropriate response in the Champions League.
On Thursday evening at 9 p.m., the record champions will face FK Bodo/Glimt at home, marking a special first: This will be the first time FC Bayern plays a Champions League match on a Thursday. The reason for this is the schedule of the reformed Champions League.
To kick things off, the Champions League is dedicating an exclusive week to European club competition, spreading its matches across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The other two UEFA competitions will take a break during this time.
For Bayern, this match also marks the start of a Champions League season with lofty ambitions. Players, coaches, and club officials have made no secret of the fact that the Champions League trophy is the record champions’ ultimate goal.
“We’re going into this season with the goal of making it our year. We have to find a way to make it happen,” Harry Kane said recently, referring to the Champions League.
They have no intention of taking their opening opponent from Norway lightly: “Bodo/Glimt was a real surprise last season,” warns captain Manuel Neuer. “We won’t underestimate them.”
FC Bayern Team News: Musiala Back, Gnabry Set for Comeback
There’s some positive news on the personnel front at FC Bayern. Jamal Musiala made his competitive comeback at Schalke following a lengthy health-related break. The 23-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half and logged about 33 minutes of playing time. The Munich team plans to continue gradually bringing him back to full fitness.
Lennart Karl is also back after recovering from an injury. The 18-year-old made his return in the Bundesliga opener against Stuttgart and was even in the starting lineup against Schalke.
Serge Gnabry is also set to return. The attacking player is working toward his comeback after an adductor injury and has already rejoined team training. A appearance against Bodø/Glimt is certainly a possibility.
At the same time, Vincent Kompany is likely to revert to his established offensive lineup following the scoreless draw at Schalke. Harry Kane and Michael Olise started on the bench in the last match and didn’t enter the game until after halftime. Both are expected to start against Bodø/Glimt.
Things should get particularly interesting in the position behind Kane: Most recently, either Nathaniel Brown or Ismael Saibari started there. With Musiala, Karl, and possibly even Serge Gnabry, Kompany now has additional options on offense.
Bodo/Glimt Team News: Norwegians Full of Confidence
Bodo/Glimt is traveling to Munich with plenty of confidence. The Norwegians recently secured a 2-1 victory over Fredrikstad FK in the domestic Eliteserien, thereby defending their top spot in the standings. In addition, coach Kjetil Knutsen’s team is now unbeaten in 18 competitive matches.
In the Champions League qualifiers, the Norwegians first eliminated Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and then NEC Nijmegen. Their Champions League opener against FC Bayern marks the club’s second appearance in Europe’s premier club competition. Bodo/Glimt already made a splash on the international stage last season.
After victories over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the group stage, the team advanced to the knockout round, even defeating Inter Milan along the way, and subsequently reached the round of 16, where, after a 3–0 first-leg victory, they lost 5–0 to Sporting Lisbon in the second leg and were eliminated.
Behind these successes lies a clear philosophy. FK Bodo/Glimt relies on a unified playing system that is followed from the youth teams all the way up to the pros. In addition, the majority of the players come from the region.
Kjetil Knutsen has been the head coach since 2018 and has developed the club into one of Norway’s most successful teams. Under Knutsen, the team won the championship for the first time in 2020 and also claimed the title in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Head-to-Head Comparison
This will be the first time ever that Bayern and Bodo/Glimt face off in a competitive match. However, the Munich team has a strong record against Norwegian teams.
In eight matches against Norwegian teams to date, Bayern has remained undefeated, winning six and drawing two. The Munich side has won all four of its home games against Norwegian opponents.
For Bayern, this is their first match against a Norwegian team since the 2000–01 season, when they defeated Rosenborg 3–1 at home and drew 1–1 on the road during the group stage.
Expected lineups
FC Bayern: Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Brown – Kimmich, Pavlovic – Olise, Saibari, Luis Diaz – Kane
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin – Sjøvold, Bjørtuft, Nielsen, Bjørkan – Berg, Brunstad Fet, Auklend – Blomberg, Hauge, Helmersen
Prediction
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After the disappointing 0-0 draw at Schalke, Bayern Munich will likely be eager to bounce back. Harry Kane and Michael Olise are expected to return to Vincent Kompany’s starting lineup. In addition to their strong record against Norwegian teams, another impressive streak points to a Bayern Munich victory: Since a 2-3 loss to Manchester City in December 2013, Bayern Munich has not lost any of its 38 matches at the Allianz Arena during the group stage or knockout rounds of the Champions League, racking up 36 wins in the process. With that record, nothing should stand in the way of a convincing home victory against Bodø/Glimt to kick off their Champions League campaign.
Bayern vs. Bodø/Glimt Broadcast: Champions League Live on TV and via Livestream
- Match: FC Bayern vs. Bodø/Glimt
- Competition: Champions League
- Matchday: Matchday 1
- Date: September 10, 2026
- Time: 9:00 p.m.
- Venue: Allianz Arena
- TV: DAZN 1, DAZN 2 (multi-game broadcast)
- Live stream: DAZN