Celtic have been warned it’s best not to underestimate Bodo/Glimt – or the Hoops will end up red faced like Roma.
The Norwegian shock troops sent shockwaves across the content with their 6-1 hammering of Jose Mourinho’s men in the Europa Conference League group stages.
Skipper Ulrik Saltnes reckons Roma rocked up in the Arctic Circle thinking it would be a breeze, only to end up getting blown away.
The midfielder is not banking on Ange Postecoglou's Celts taking his side for granted in Glasgow when the sides clash on Thursday night.
But Saltnes is in the mood to secure another stunning result.
He said: “I don’t think Roma were prepared for us in any way. They came late to the city, they didn’t have a training session, I don’t think they were ready for the weather, the conditions – or our players.
“Football is a strange game, If you give them a knock at the beginning then it can shake you for the rest of the game.
“I think that’s what happened in the first game. Hopefully we can do it again. Maybe not the same scoreline but let’s see if we can get a result.
“We are always confident in our own abilities – but we are also humble. In Europe you meet great teams and Celtic are in that category.
“It’s not like we are going to be over-confident, but we believe in ourselves.
“That allows us to focus on ourselves.”
Celtic will have a role reversal to the usual situation they face when taking on Scandinavian sides – as it’s Bodo who are now in their pre-season.
Saltnes admitted it’s a concern for his men, especially as their squad was plundered in the January transfer window and they have toiled in their bounce games so far.
The club stalwart is happy to be the underdog at Parkhead though.
Saltnes said: “It has been a bit messy and there has been a lot of players in and out.
"We have not been able to play together as long as we hoped for, but it is also very good. We actually look pretty good for this time of year.
“We are still in our pre-season so that could maybe give Celtic an advantage.
“But it’s hard to say. We’d obviously like to have been playing regularly but perhaps we can go in with a bit of extra energy.
“Celtic have had a pretty hard schedule.
“If Celtic think they are favourites – that’s fine with me.”
Saltnes knows what to expect from Celtic Park – as his old pal Stefan Johansen used to rave about the place when he was a Parkhead favourite.
The 29-year-old insisted he won’t be fazed by a full house – as he’s hoping the stadium will be rocking.
Saltnes said: “Celtic are obviously a big club with a lot of history. Everyone in Europe has heard of Celtic.
“We know they have a great stadium fantastic fans. I actually hope there will be 60,000 people there – that would be fantastic to play in that environment and see if we can cope with that pressure.
“It will be an amazing experience.
“A lot of Norwegian players have played there as well, guys like Stefan Johansen and Kristoffer Ajer.
“Stefan is from the same club as me and when he was back in Norway he’s always talk about Celtic.
“He’s tell me it was a massive club and a great place to play football.
“The culture is similar in Scotland to Norway so Norwegians tend to like it there.
“I haven’t spoken to Stefan before this game but I’m not sure he would give me too many details!”
Saltnes won’t reveal the Bodo secret either. This little club from one of Norway’s most northern outposts spent decades bouncing between the divisions and were only promoted to the top flight in 2017.
They finished runners up within two years and then won back to back titles in the last couple of seasons.
Boss Kjetil Knutsen has become one of the hottest properties in Europe but Satnes insisted the Bodo tale is far from finished.
He said: “What’s the secret here? How long do you have?!
“It’s a great story at Bodo and it’s got a lot of attention globally. It’s the perfect tale of a small club coming out of nowhere and doing well.
“But we’ve been doing the same things for years. We’ve been working hard physically and doing a lot on the mental aspect.
“We’ve managed to keep our coach and staff and they’ve built the club stone by stone.
“We’ve had tremendous results and when you do that it’s easy to stay on the same path.
“No one is as important as the manager. You could change any of the 11 players and he would still be the most important by far.
“He’s had a huge influence on the club. He’s a fantastic manager and I hope we can keep him for a long time.
“And I’m not just saying that because he might be standing behind me!”
