Niko Kovac insisted that his Borussia Dortmund side must not underestimate Bodo/Glimt when they face each other in the Champions League on Wednesday. 

Dortmund welcome the Norwegian side to Signal Iduna Park this week, and win could prove valuable in their quest to finish in the top eight of the league phase. 

They sit sixth in the standings heading into matchday six, winning 10 points so far, but they could find themselves as high as second should they register a victory. 

Dortmund have lost one of their previous 20 home matches in the Champions League (W13 D6), netting 45 goals in that period, conceding only 12 and keeping 11 clean sheets.

Bodo, however, are winless in their last eight games in major European competition (D2 L6) since beating Lazio in the Europa League in April last season. 

But Dortmund boss Kovac believes Bodo will pose a bigger threat than anticipated, despite sitting 32nd in the league phase and in a poor run of form in Europe. 

"They're not a team that plays regularly in the Champions League," said Kovac.

"Their games have been close so far, as we can see from the analysis. They're a team that plays football and switches quickly.

"We have to find the right solutions."

Dortmund's previous six games against Norwegian sides in European competition have seen a total of 33 goals scored (20 for, 13 against), at an average of 5.5 goals per match.

They have never faced Bodo before, but have lost just one of their six overall matches against Norwegian opposition in Europe (W4 D1), which came in a 3-0 defeat against Rosenborg in October 1999 in the Champions League.

Kovac backed up his previous comment by alluding to the rise of Norwegian football in recent years, highlighted by the national team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. 

During the UEFA section of qualifying, Norway, led by Manchester City's Erling Haaland, topped the scoring charts with a whopping 37 goals in their eight matches. 

Indeed, Norway qualified for FIFA's flagship tournament, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexcio next summer, for the first time in 28 years. 

"Norwegian football has developed tremendously in recent years," Kovac added.

"The World Cup qualifiers show that there are many good players. We are delighted to have Julian Ryerson in our squad, a player who has played his part in this development."