Fresh off their Belgian Super Cup victory against Club Bruges, secured through a penalty shootout, Union Saint-Gilloise will play their inaugural European fixture of the 2026/2027 season. The match kicks off Tuesday at 8:00 PM in Ostende and will be broadcast live.
Under the guidance of coach David Hubert, the team aims to secure a second consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Their challenge begins with the first leg of the third, and penultimate, qualifying round against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt, in this elite European competition. The return leg is scheduled for August 11th in Bodo.
This upcoming opponent presents a significant challenge; Bodo/Glimt made a surprising run in last year’s Champions League. They advanced past the league phase, then knocked out Inter Milan in the play-offs, before ultimately falling to Sporting CP in the round of sixteen, despite a commanding 3-0 victory in their home leg.
Furthermore, Bodo/Glimt is expected to arrive in Ostende in peak form. Their Norwegian league season commenced in March, and they currently lead the standings, having secured victories in their last five matches.
Union Saint-Gilloise will field a nearly full squad for the encounter. Only recent signing Hervé Koffi, acquired from Lens, will be unavailable for coach Hubert. During Monday’s press conference, Hubert described the match as «a formidable challenge face to a strong team.»
Despite the departures of Christian Burgess and Kjell Scherpen, the Brussels-based club demonstrated a serious and determined performance in the Super Cup. Bodo/Glimt’s coach, Kjetil Knutsen, who has closely observed all of Union’s recent friendly matches, believes they are «extremely well-prepared.»
Should Union emerge victorious from this two-legged tie, they will advance to the play-off round, where they would face either Greek side Olympiakos or Dutch club NEC Nimègue. Union would host the decisive second leg of that play-off, again in Ostende. Conversely, a defeat against Bodo/Glimt would see the club from the Butte enter the Europa League league phase.
