Union Saint-Gilloise concluded the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Norwegian vice-champions Bodo/Glimt. The high-stakes encounter, played on Tuesday evening in Ostende, Belgium, saw the Belgian side concede three goals from set-piece situations, leaving them with a crucial task for the return fixture.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions and goals. Bodo/Glimt’s Berg opened the scoring from a free-kick in the 20th minute, but Florucz swiftly equalized for Union in the 25th minute. The Norwegian visitors regained their lead through a Blomberg penalty in the 29th minute. Just before the halftime whistle, Florucz once again found the net, leveling the score at 2-2 in the 45th+5 minute.
The second half continued with intense back-and-forth action. David appeared to secure a late advantage for Union Saint-Gilloise, putting them ahead 3-2 in the 88th minute. However, Bodo/Glimt refused to be beaten, with Bjortuft restoring parity in the 90th+1 minute, once again from a set-piece, to ensure the spoils were shared.
The decisive second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11th, at 6:00 PM, on Bodo’s synthetic pitch in Norway. The winner of this hotly contested duel will advance to the play-off round, where they will face either Olympiacos Le Pirée, the Greek vice-champions, or NEC Nimègue, who finished third in the Dutch Eredivisie. Their first leg also ended in a 0-0 draw. The victor of that play-off will secure a coveted spot in the Champions League league phase, a stage already guaranteed for Belgian champions Club Bruges.
Should Union Saint-Gilloise fall short in this third Champions League qualifying round against the current leaders of the Norwegian championship, their European journey will continue in the Europa League league phase. This follows previous eliminations at the same stage, by Glasgow Rangers in 2022 and Slavia Prague in 2024.
