The Union Saint-Gilloise faced a tough challenge in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, securing a hard-fought 3-3 draw against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in Brussels on Tuesday evening. The match was filled with drama, particularly as the Belgian side twice fought back from behind, only to concede late equalizers.
Thrilling comeback attempts fall short
Bodo/Glimt struck first through Berg’s free-kick in the 20th minute, but Florucz quickly restored parity for the visitors. The Norwegian side regained the lead through a penalty from Blomberg just minutes later, before Florucz struck again before halftime to make it 2-2. In the final stages, Promise David put the Union ahead for the first time, only for Bjortuft to level the score once more in stoppage time.
Norway awaits for the decisive second leg
The second leg of this qualifying duel will take place on Tuesday, August 11 at 18:00 CET on Bodo/Glimt’s synthetic pitch in Norway. The stakes remain high: the winner will advance to the playoff round, where they will face the victor of the Greece-Netherlands clash between Olympiacos and NEC Nijmegen, who also played out a 0-0 draw.
The eventual playoff winner will earn a place in the UEFA Champions League’s league phase, where Club Bruges has already secured qualification as Belgium’s national champion.
What’s at stake for the Union
Should the Union fail to progress to the Champions League proper, they will drop into the UEFA Europa League league phase. Their recent history in this competition has been challenging, with early exits in both 2022 (against Rangers) and 2024 (against Slavia Prague).
