Nijmegen vs Bodø/Glimt – News and Probable Lineups

In their quest for another opportunity in the group stage, Bodo/Glimt is set to commence their Champions League playoff on Wednesday, facing the Dutch side NEC Nijmegen, who are the underdogs in this encounter.

Both teams are vying for one of the remaining seven spots in UEFA’s premier tournament, with this fixture being the first leg hosted at Goffertstadion, following their advancement through the previous qualifying round.

Match overview

This will not only be NEC’s inaugural season competing at Europe’s highest level, but it also signifies their fifth appearance in any UEFA tournament, with the last one dating back to 2009.

Seventeen years have passed since their last campaign, and following a surprising third-place finish in the Eredivisie last season, they are just one step away from the prestigious league stage of the Champions League.

Competing in the third qualifying round, Dick Schreuder’s team managed to progress after a scoreless draw in Greece was followed by a 2-1 victory over Olympiacos in the second leg.

NEC believed they had secured the win when Kaj Sierhuis scored in the dying moments of the match, only to have it disallowed for offside; five minutes into extra time, Emre Mor netted the decisive goal.

This victory has guaranteed them continental participation this autumn, ensuring that even if they succumb to Bodo/Glimt in the playoffs, a berth in the Europa League would serve as a noteworthy consolation.

After losing their league opener to Telstar, NEC made a strong comeback domestically last week, achieving a comprehensive 4-1 victory against Willem II.

With this week’s Eredivisie match postponed to enhance their chances, NEC can now concentrate fully on this demanding playoff fixture, commencing on Wednesday.

In contrast to their less experienced opponents, Bodo/Glimt will be making their fifth Champions League appearance, all of which have been since 2021.

Remarkably, Glimt has progressed to the knockout stages in Europe for the past five seasons, famously reaching the Champions League’s last 16 last year after defeating Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter de Milan.

After such an impressive debut in the league stage, the Norwegian side returns to the playoffs for a third successive season, having been eliminated by Crvena Zvezda in 2024 before overcoming Sturm Graz in this round last year.

Like NEC, Kjetil Knutsen’s squad also needed extra time to advance past their first qualifier: following a thrilling six-goal contest in Belgium, their third-round tie against Union Saint-Gilloise concluded last week.

A dramatic night unfolded at the now well-known Aspmyra Stadion, with Andreas Helmersen scoring a fortunate winner in the 117th minute, leading to a 6-5 aggregate victory.

After being dethroned as domestic champions last season, finishing just one point behind Viking in Norway’s Eliteserien, Glimt is currently engaged in another title race, having recorded six consecutive league victories since the summer break.

In addition to scoring six goals over two legs against Union SG, they have netted 15 goals during this winning stretch, meaning Knutsen’s players head to Gelderland brimming with confidence.

Team News

NEC will likely be without both Koki Ogawa and Sami Ouaissa for the first leg due to injuries, joining centre-backs Philippe Sandler and Perr Schuurs on the list of absentees.

Ouaissa, who joined after being released by Torino, is still recovering from a significant knee injury sustained over two years ago.

Throughout his career, Serbian playmaker Dusan Tadic has consistently registered double figures in assists for eight consecutive seasons since leaving Southampton, tallying 20 assists from 41 matches last year.

The experienced midfielder will team up with 38-year-old captain Tjaronn Chery to support former Feyenoord forward Bryan Linssen, who netted the third goal against Willem II last weekend.

Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt’s head coach Knutsen is expected to rely on Helmersen, who has risen to prominence following the departure of last season’s top scorer Kasper Hogh to Celtic.

The forward has scored six league goals thus far, along with last week’s winning goal against Union SG, and will be supported by any two from Ola Brynhildsen, Ole Blomberg, and former AC Milan player Jens Petter Hauge.

Club captain Patrick Berg will lead the midfield, but his teammate Hakon Evjen is currently sidelined with a knee issue that may keep him out until September.

NEC probable starting XI:

Crettaz; Storm, Nuytinck, Fonville; Pereira, Monteiro, Nejasmic, Bischoff; Chery, Tadic; Linssen

Bodo/Glimt probable starting XI:

Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Auklend, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Helmersen, Hauge

Bodo/Glimt has triumphed in six of their last eight European fixtures, scoring at least twice in nine of the previous ten matches, allowing them to enter this playoff with no fear.

Although NEC has some crafty playmakers and are accustomed to assuming the role of underdogs, they could potentially lose this home leg, making their task in northern Norway a daunting one.