news-engine

WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST – 20:00 BST 🇪🇺 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER ⚽ NEC VS. BODØ/GLIMT NEC are on the verge of a historic breakthrough as they chase a place in the Champions League. Their extra‑time triumph over Olympiakos has pushed them to the final qualifying stage, with only Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt standing between the Nijmegen club and Europe’s elite. I say only, it’s no easy feat. Bodø/Glimt defeated Manchester City, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid in last season’s Champions League. The Norwegians arrived in the Netherlands well ahead of schedule as they had the weekend off, while NEC tuned up with a commanding 4–1 victory over Willem II on Saturday. All signs point to a tense, cautious first leg between two sides fully aware of what this tie means but Bodø don’t play like that writes Will Burns. NEC Although a stuttering start to the league campaign, NEC’s momentum is building. The thrilling 2–1 win over Olympiakos, sealed by Emre Mor in extra time, has injected belief into Dick Schreuder’s squad and it showed on Saturday. Domestically, NEC responded well after their opening‑day defeat to Telstar, beating Willem II comfortably 4-1 in Tilburg although it took them a while to get going. The club has also been active in the transfer market with three players arriving in the past week but none of them are in the squad. Confirmed are Austrian goalkeeper Nikolas Polster arrived from Wolfsberger on a permanent deal and goes straight into the squad for Wednesday night, with Portuguese central defender Gabriel Brás (FC Porto – loan) joining him. German left-back Almugera Kabar (Borussia Dortmund) also signed on and Ahmetcan Kaplan is set to arrive from Ajax after a renewed agreement, but neither are registered for the first leg. Schreuder will also be without Sami Ouaissa, Philippe Sandler and Yassin Moslih. BODØ/GLIMT The Norweigans enter the tie at the top of the Eliteserien after 17 games and one of Scandinavia’s most consistent European performers. They needed extra time to eliminate Belgian’s Union Saint‑Gilloise, drawing 3–3 away and winning 3–2 at home in the last round of qualifiers but the club has not lost a game since 4th May, putting together a fifteen‑match unbeaten run. Their preparation has been meticulous: with no league match scheduled, manager Kjetil Knutsen and the squad travelled to the Netherlands on Friday. Bodø play on a plastic surface in Norway due to the extreme cold temperatures, so the club are taking advantage of training of a grass pitch and warmer temperatures than back home. The early arrival also gives the Eliteserien champions a rare full week of training after a packed recent schedule. A strong squad has made the trip, including key figures such as Patrick Berg, Ulrik Saltnes, Jens Petter Hauge and Ola Brynhildsen. Only Jostein Gundersen, Håkon Evjen, August Mikkelsen and Isak Sjong remain in Norway for alternative training. The only concern in the squad is their only signing of the summer, midfielder Joshua Kitolano, a free transfer from Sparta Rotterdam, who picked up a knee injury in training and remains doubtful. The squad is packed with experience at this level, and Kasper Høgh, joined Celtic in a €12.9 million move this summer, as the only major departure from the team that reached the Champions League last-16 last season. ANALYSIS This is NEC’s first ever meeting with Bodø/Glimt, but the Norwegians are no strangers of Dutch opposition facing AZ, PSV, Ajax and FC Twente with respectable results in recent years. NEC’s home form in Europe has been strong, but Bodø/Glimt’s attacking consistency and European pedigree make them very dangerous opponents. Because this is the first leg of a two‑match tie, both sides may naturally lean toward caution — though that’s rarely how Bodø/Glimt or NEC approach a game. Although NEC will be determined not to concede at home, while Glimt usually play with controlled aggression on their travels, pressing high and looking to impose themselves early. Schreuder’s men were one of the most attack‑minded sides in the Eredivisie last season, and we’ve already seen signs of that in the build‑up to this game, with NEC beating Olympiakos 2–1 on aggregate last week. PREDICTION Bodø/Glimt know this level inside out and are naturally better equipped for a Champions League playoff than most of the talent NEC can call upon. That said, NEC have shown they can compete — their two‑legged win over Olympiakos proved they’re not out of their depth. Goals feel likely here, with Glimt the more probable winners. They’ve beaten elite opposition in this competition before and still retain the core of that squad, so over two legs they should have enough to see off NEC. However, Glimt did concede five goals across their tie with Union SG, and NEC have enough attacking quality to find at least one themselves. | ⚽️ BET 1: Both Teams to Score in Both Halves 💷 0.5pt Best Odds: 8.00 at Sky Bet ⚽️ BET 2: Both Teams to Score 2 or More Goals 💷 1pt Best Odds: 3.50 at Sky Bet ⚽️ BET 3 – BET BUILDER Bodo/Glimt or Draw Both Teams to Score Over 2.5 Goals 💷 1pt Best Odds: 2.46 at Sky Bet | Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org