NEC Nijmegen will host Bodo/Glimt in the Netherlands on Wednesday night with a first-leg edge on the line, and both clubs arrive believing they can take it. Nijmegen are coming off a 2-1 aggregate win over Olympiacos in Champions League qualifying, while Bodo/Glimt survived Royale Union 6-5 on aggregate and bring a longer unbeaten run into the tie.
That is why NEC vs Bodo/Glimt is drawing attention now: the match sits at the center of a qualifying path where one mistake can shape the whole tie. Nijmegen have also added momentum from a 4-1 away win over Willem II over the weekend, and Bryan Linssen has been part of that surge after scoring the winner against Olympiacos and finding the net in back-to-back appearances over the past week.
Bodo/Glimt’s form makes the assignment tougher than a routine home opener. They are unbeaten in their previous 13 consecutive appearances across all competitions and have scored at least three goals in five of their last six matches. Ole Blomberg has been central to that output, with six direct goal contributions in his previous seven appearances, including four goals and two assists. For Nijmegen, the assignment is about more than carrying over a good week; it is about matching a side that keeps pushing games open and usually makes opponents defend for long stretches.
The problem for Nijmegen is that the home end of the tie has not been especially secure. They have failed to keep a competitive clean sheet at home since returning from March's international break, which leaves a clear opening for Bodo/Glimt even after the visitors’ own defensive and availability concerns. Perr Schuss remains out with a long-term knee injury and has not played at all this calendar year, while Sami Ouaissa missed the Willem II match with a reported muscle issue and is not expected to feature Wednesday night. Bodo/Glimt will also be without Hakon Evjen, who is recovering from a recent knee injury, and August Mikkelsen, who is back from a muscle injury but still not ready to play.
The tie now turns on whether Nijmegen can turn momentum into control before the return leg becomes the story. They upset Olympiacos last week, they followed it with a four-goal league win, and Linssen has given them a scorer in form. But Bodo/Glimt have been harder to stop for longer, and if they bring their scoring rate with them, the first leg may settle less on reputation than on which side handles the opening pressure better.
