Union Saint-Gilloise commences its European campaign on Tuesday in Ostend, facing Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the third qualifying round of the 2026/2027 Champions League.
Fresh off their Belgian Supercup victory against Club Brugge, secured after a penalty shootout, Union Saint-Gilloise is set to play its inaugural European fixture of the 2026/2027 season. The match kicks off Tuesday at 8:00 PM in Ostend and will be broadcast live on RTL club and RTL play.
Under the guidance of coach David Hubert, the team will strive for 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 Norway’s Bodo/Glimt. The crucial return fixture is scheduled for August 11th in Bodo.
However, this initial hurdle is far from simple. Bodo/Glimt made a significant impact in last year’s Champions League, advancing from the league phase before stunning Inter Milan in the play-offs. They eventually fell to Sporting CP in the round of sixteen, despite securing a commanding 3-0 victory in their home leg.
Furthermore, Bodo/Glimt is expected to be in peak match fitness for their visit to Ostend. The Norwegian championship commenced in March, and Union’s formidable opponent currently leads their domestic league, having triumphed in their last five outings.
USG will field a nearly full squad; only Hervé Koffi, a recent acquisition from Lens, will be unavailable to Hubert. During Monday’s press conference, the coach described the upcoming clash as “a fine challenge against a robust team.”
Despite the departures of Christian Burgess and Kjell Scherpen, the Brussels-based club demonstrated a formidable performance in the Supercup. Bodo/Glimt’s coach, Kjetil Knutsen, who has closely observed all of Union’s recent friendly matches, concluded that they are “extremely well-prepared.”
Should Union emerge victorious from this two-legged encounter, they will advance to face either Greece’s Olympiakos or the Netherlands’ NEC Nijmegen in the play-off round. Union would host the decisive second leg, once again in Ostend. Conversely, a defeat against Bodo/Glimt would see the Brussels club enter the Europa League group stage.