Morten Hjulmand firm before Bodø/Glimt v Sporting: No excuses | OneFootball

Before the trip to Norway, where Sporting will face Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, Morten Hjulmand assured that the atmosphere in the Sporting dressing room remains positive, despite conceding a last-minute draw against Braga in their recent league match.

Speaking to Sporting TV, the Danish midfielder acknowledged the quality of the opponent and warned of the difficulties of the knockout stage. “Even though they are not one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Bodø/Glimt have achieved fantastic results in the Champions League and, last season, in the Europa League. We know these will be two very tough matches against them,” he stated.

Hjulmand admitted that the draw in Minho was hard to swallow, especially because of how it happened, but guaranteed that the team has already moved on. “The result against Braga was not what we wanted and conceding a goal like that was tough, but it happens in football and we have also scored several goals in the final minutes. Now we have a new challenge ahead of us,” he emphasized.

The Lions’ captain also highlighted the intensity of the Norwegian side and the clear identity of their play. “They are a very intense opponent, with a clear game plan. The way they play is evident and it works for them, as they have had some very good matches,” he explained, also mentioning the particular conditions of the match.

Despite the expected cold and the synthetic pitch at the stadium in Bodø, the Danish international dismissed any excuses. “It will be cold and the pitch is different from what we are used to in Portugal, but that’s no excuse for us. We are going there to win the match. Our focus is on this game,” he assured.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.