Manchester City make significant changes to Champions League travel plans for Bodo/Glimt clash | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have made significant changes to their travel arrangements leading up to the clash with Bodo/Glimt in Norway this week.

The adjustment comes during a demanding period of fixtures for the Premier League giants, with domestic and European commitments stacking up and little room for error in the Champions League league phase.

Trips to the Arctic Circle are among the most challenging in Europe, not only due to distance but also the climate and pitch surfaces. Bodo/Glimt’s Aspmyra Stadion notably features an artificial surface, presenting a very different test compared to Premier League grounds.

City’s schedule has been relentless, combining high-intensity domestic matches with major European nights, and with recovery time at a premium, Pep Guardiola and his staff appear to have prioritised early adaptation to local conditions over maintaining their standard routine.

Now, as Manchester City finalise preparations for the meeting with Bodo/Glimt, the significant changes to their plans can be detailed as officials navigate away from the traditional routine in European competition.

While City will usually finalise training ground preparations in Manchester, before fulfilling media duties upon arriving at their opponents’ stadium 24 hours before kick-off, various circumstances have forced a re-think this time around.

City have this time opted to depart the North-West on Monday morning, undertaking the four-and-a-half hour flight to Bodo in Norway to fulfil media commitments at the Aspmyra Stadion, and complete training work on the artificial pitch to acclimatise to the change of surface.

The decision highlights how seriously Manchester City are taking the unique challenge posed by Bodo/Glimt’s home environment, and training directly on the artificial pitch offers chance to adjust.

It also suggests Pep Guardiola is keen to remove as many unknowns as possible before kick-off, especially in a competition where fine margins often determine progression as City close in on automatic qualification for the last-16 of the Champions League.

Manchester City will be keen to return to winning ways in Norway off the back of their 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime, with European competition the perfect opportunity to do just that.