Preview: Bodo/Glimt vs NEC - prediction, team news, lineups

With a two-goal lead after last week's first leg, Bodo/Glimt will aim to finish their Champions League playoff tie on Tuesday, when they welcome NEC to the notorious Aspmyra Stadion.

Neither side played at the weekend, so they should be fresh for the return leg in Bodo, where the hosts have taken several scalps over recent seasons.

Match preview

Bodo/Glimt are on the cusp of consecutive Champions League qualifications, after securing a strong position in the final round before this season's league phase.

Vying for one of seven spots left in UEFA's top competition, the Norwegian side were 3-1 winners in Nijmegen last Wednesday, thanks to goals from Sondre Fet, Andreas Helmersen and Haitam Aleesami.

Bodo certainly started their playoff tie as favourites, having reached the knockout rounds in Europe for each of the past five years, most memorably going all the way to the Champions League's last 16 last term by beating Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

After such a stellar debut in the league phase, Kjetil Knutsen's team kicked off this year's qualifying process with a dramatic 6-5 aggregate victory over Union Saint-Gilloise, requiring Helmersen's lucky extra-time strike to avoid penalties.

Deposed as domestic champions after finishing one point behind Viking in Norway's Eliteserien last season, Glimt are currently in the thick of another title race, having won six straight league games since the summer break.

Added to nine goals over three legs in Europe, they have scored 15 during that period, so Knutsen's men could take some stopping on Tuesday.

While the odds are still stacked against them, Clement Bischoff's late goal in the first leg should offer NEC a glimmer of hope ahead of their trip to the Arctic Circle.

This time last year, few would have expected the Dutch club to even be in contention for Champions League qualification, and this is their first campaign at Europe's elite level.

In fact, it marks just their fifth participation in any UEFA tournament and, some 17 years after the last one, they are just a step away from reaching the league phase.

Last term's shock third-place finish in the Eredivisie earned them entry to the third round of qualifying, where Dick Schreuder's side followed a goalless draw in Greece by beating Olympiacos 2-1 back on home turf.

Crucially, that confirmed more continental football, as even if they fail to fight back and beat Bodo, access to the Europa League would be a significant consolation.

Having posted one win and one loss so far, this week's league game has been postponed to aid NEC's chances of a miraculous revival, so they will have nothing to lose in Norway.

Bodo/Glimt Champions League form:

Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

NEC Champions League form:

NEC form (all competitions):

Team News

Bodo/Glimt were missing Jostein Gundersen (thigh) and Hakon Evjen (knee) last week, and the latter is not expected back from injury until next month.

Aleesami could continue to deputise for Gundersen in central defence, while captain Patrick Berg will run the hosts' engine room once again.

In attack, Helmersen has stepped up since last term's top scorer Kasper Hogh left for Celtic, notching six league goals - plus the winner against Union SG and another important strike in Nijmegen.

Any two from Ola Brynhildsen, Ole Blomberg and ex-AC Milan winger Jens Petter Hauge will complete Glimt's three-man front line.

Meanwhile, veteran striker Bryan Linssen is set to lead NEC's attack, having featured in 12 games and scored three times when Feyenoord reached the Conference League final in 2022.

Kaj Sierhuis was restricted to a cameo role last Wednesday, but he will be pushing to start after scoring in both Eredivisie matches and setting up Emre Mor's winner against Olympiacos.

However, the Ajax academy graduate faces stiff competition: at various clubs, Serbian schemer Dusan Tadic has hit double figures for assists in eight straight seasons, while 38-year-old captain Tjaronn Chery is unlikely to lose his place.

Both Koki Ogawa and Sami Ouaissa are doubts due to injury, potentially joining centre-backs Philippe Sandler and Perr Schuurs on the sidelines.

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Bjorkan; Auklend, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Helmersen, Hauge

NEC possible starting lineup:

Crettaz; Pereira, Storm, Fonville; Monteiro, Nejasmic, Lebreton, Bischoff; Chery, Tadic; Linssen

We say: Bodo/Glimt 2-1 NEC (Bodo/Glimt win 5-2 on aggregate)

Dating back to last term's incredible league phase revival, Bodo have won seven of their last nine games in Europe - also scoring at least twice in 10 of the last 11 - so they should polish off this playoff.

NEC already have a steep mountain to climb, and chasing the game at Aspmyra Stadion is surely a recipe for defeat - they will settle for a consolation place in the Europa League.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.