The encounter at Ostend saw Union Saint-Gilloise battle to a 3-3 stalemate with Norwegian vice-champions Bodo/Glimt during the opening leg of their Champions League qualifying tie. The visitors took the lead early when Berg converted a free-kick in the 20th minute. However, Florucz quickly responded for Union just five minutes later, leveling the score. Bodo/Glimt regained their advantage from the penalty spot in the 29th minute through Blomberg. Yet, Florucz once again found the net just before the break, equalizing in the 45th minute plus five seconds of added time.
As the match neared its conclusion, David appeared to secure a late lead for the Unionists in the 88th minute. Nevertheless, Bodo/Glimt, showing resilience, managed to restore parity once more in the 90th minute plus one, as Bjortuft scored from another set-piece. The decisive return leg is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, at 6:00 PM (18:00) on Bodo’s synthetic pitch in Norway. The victor of this contest will advance to face the winner of the third preliminary round clash between Greek vice-champions Olympiacos Piraeus and Dutch Eredivisie’s third-place team, NEC Nijmegen, who also played to a 0-0 draw. The team that emerges successful from the playoff round will secure a spot in the Champions League league phase, where Belgian champions Club Brugge have already qualified.
Should Union fail to overcome the current Norwegian league leaders in this Champions League third qualifying round, they will be redirected to the Europa League league phase. The Brussels-based club has faced similar eliminations at this stage previously, notably in 2022 against Glasgow Rangers and in 2024 when they were defeated by Slavia Prague.
