Champions hopes dim for NEC as Bodø/Glimt dominate the first leg

Under the glittering Champions League arches at De Goffert Stadium in Nijmegen, NEC watched a 3-1 defeat unfold at the hands of Bodø/Glimt, a result that puts the Dutch club’s dream of European football on ice after just one play‑off match.

Dream of Champions League fades

The ambition of Champions League football in Nijmegen seemed to evaporate after the first leg, when Bodø/Glimt, who debuted on the continent’s highest stage last season, secured a convincing win. The Norwegian side pushed the contest to the last sixteen with a performance that left the home crowd stunned.

Norwegians had previously knocked out Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and twice‑crowned Internazionale, and they demonstrated that pedigree midway through the match by leading 0‑2 after a lesson in effectiveness.

NEC’s depleted line‑up and early drama

NEC entered the game without Sami Ouaissa and Philippe Sandler, both injured in the first half of last week’s European tie with Olympiakos, and Japanese forward Koki Ogawa was also unavailable.

The starting eleven featured veterans Tjaronn Chery (38) and Dusan Tadic (37), the only NEC players with prior Champions League experience, while the crowd expected more from the league football‑focused evening.

Ten minutes in, Brayann Pereira’s handball prompted referee François Letexier to point to the spot, only for video review to reveal that Jens Petter Hauge had handled the ball moments earlier.

The visitors’ first real chance came when Andreas Klausen Helmersen headed to Gonzalo Crettaz, prompting a Chery shot that forced goalkeeper Nikita Haikin into action.

Midway through the first half, Bodø/Glimt’s trademark quick transition after Noé Lebreton’s loss saw Hauge find Sondre Fet, who coolly finished to make it 0‑1.

A penalty awarded after Ole Didrik Blomberg’s clash with Tobias Storm saw Helmersen convert, extending the lead to 0‑2 before the break.

In the second half, a corner from Crettaz was headed in by Haitam Aleesami, completing a 0‑3 lead, while NEC’s late consolation came from a Tadic header off Adam Tahaui’s cross, with Clement Bischoff nudging the ball home for 1‑3.

The defeat left NEC supporters, who had seen the stadium draped in Champions League décor, grappling with a harsh reality as the club prepares for the return leg in Bodø, a city just above the Arctic Circle, next Tuesday.