After a great start in the Europa League at home against Porto, tough opposition in Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise awaited Bodø/Glimt. Among other things, Liverpool lost 1-2 away to Union last year. After 90 minutes at the King Baudouin stadium, popularly called Heysel, it ended 0-0. – We knew it would be a match that would turn into a bit of chaos. I think we were good at it at times. Then we have some huge chances on counterattacks and when we get the ball down, so we could punish them. But unfortunately we couldn’t do that, says Glimt’s Patrick Berg to news. It was an excited coach Kjetil Knutsen who stood on the sidelines during tonight’s match. Photo: Yves Herman / Reuters news expert Carl Erik Torp thinks Glimt did an impressive job of standing up in Belgium. – They show that they have become a good European football team, on difficult days they stand up and can even take three points, he says and adds: – Rarely have I seen such an intense and eventful 0-0 game. Three or four years ago, the expert Glimt believes he would have lost this match ten times out of ten. Mathias Rasmussen fights for the ball against Bodø/Glimt’s midfield Sondre Brunstad Fet. Photo: BRUNO FAHY / AFP – Had Glimt been offered before these two games that they would be left with four points after meeting Porto at home and Union away on grass, I think they would have taken it with both hands, said Viaplay expert Pål André Helland. Porto and Manchester United also drew 3-3 in Porto at the same time. Glimt met Porto last week. Then the match ended 3–2 to Glimt. On November 28, Glimt meets Manchester United at home. – We play a slightly more mature game than we have done before in Europe. It was a game with quite a few chances even if it ends up being 0-0. Both teams were dangerous, says Glimt’s Jostein Gundersen. Union SG’s Koki Machida tries to catch the ball from Glimt’s Philip Zinckernagel. Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP Glimt winger Philip Zinckernagel had several great chances on the pitch during tonight’s game. Therefore, it is not unexpected that he finds it boring not to bring more points home with him. – I think we deserved to win and had a number of great chances. We show that we can be really dangerous, he says. Berg also believes the away team had some huge chances. – There were good opportunities here, but Union is a good team with a lot of physical presence. On a normal day, we should score one or two goals. Even first half The first half was characterized by two even teams that met on the pitch in the Kong Baudouin stadium. Both teams had great chances, but the match was 0-0 at the break. Union’s first chance in the match came 19 minutes out, before the chance presented itself to Castro-Montes Ivanovic. Glimt, on the other hand, had two great chances in the first half of the match. Fredrik André Bjørkan fought against Union’s Alessio Castro in front of goal at one of Glimt’s big chances. Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP First time through a lovely leg from Patrick Berg out to Jens Petter Hauge after 37 minutes played. The latter dribbled inside, before he laid the ball out for Bjørkan, who hit an almost perfect cross to Zinckernagel, but amazingly the ball slipped off his forehead and out of the goal. Soon after, Union’s Ousseynou Niang was centimeters away from scoring the game’s first goal, had it not been for a brilliant save by Nikita Haikin. Nikita Haikin had two huge saves in the 1st half and ensured that the score remained 0–0. Photo: Yves Herman / Reuters Only minutes later, Hauge sped along the left edge, cut in and passed the ball to Zinckernagel. He pulled off a man, passed the ball back to Hauge, who tried to lob the ball over the goalkeeper. It landed right in the crossbar. Nerve-wrenching second half Also in the 2nd half, two even teams entered the field. But 57 minutes out, that could change when Nikita Haikin was suddenly in huge trouble. The last chance was a bit nonchalant in the free play from the back and was far away when Rodriquez from Union shot at an open goal. Haikin lunged forward soon after and tackled the Ecuadorian before the second ball was cleared away. Former Glimt players Hugo Vetlesen and Victor Boniface watched the match between Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise and Bodø/Glimt from the stands. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news From here it was the home team that seemed to dominate the half. Glimt tried his hand at counterattacks, but mostly stayed in his own half. With several breakaway opportunities, it was only just that the away team managed to keep the ball out of the goal on several occasions. Glimt had a good attack after 90 minutes played with two shooting opportunities. Five additional minutes were added, but it did not change the result. Both expected opposition Union Saint-Gilloise, which had its heyday between 1904-1935, with a total of 11 league golds, has in recent times almost become an insignificance in the European context. But three years ago they moved up again to the Belgian top division – and have since made a strong mark both nationally and internationally. Although Glimt expected tough opposition in Belgium, coach Sebastien Pocognoli was not convinced that the home team were favorites before the match. Photo: BRUNO FAHY / AFP In this year’s edition of the Belgian league, Union Saint-Gilloise had opened somewhat weakly, and coach Sébastien Pocognolisa said during the press conference before the match that they had to play their best game to catch up with Glimt. – We have analyzed Bodø/Glimt a lot. They have a very strong collective, they play offensive and good football and have built great confidence in the team. Kjetil Knutsen believes that they have a tough team waiting in Brussels. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB Bodø/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen, for his part, was also aware that they faced a tough team. – We know that we are facing a good football team with power and intensity in them. They plan that there will be a lot of duels. It is no accident because they are extremely good at it. Not allowed to play at home Even though this was the home match of Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise, they were not allowed to play at home. Their stadium, Joseph Marien Stadium, does not meet UEFA’s requirements. Therefore, the team for its European matches has had to find a new stadium every year. Around 300 supporters from Bodø/Glimt have traveled to Brussels to watch the match against Union Saint-Gilloise. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news This year they landed at the national stadium in the capital. Belgian journalists thought beforehand that this could be a disadvantage for the Belgian team. However, Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen did not think so. – It’s a good team on a good pitch. I think they live well with that. Published 03.10.2024, at 21.03 Updated 04.10.2024, at 00.00
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Bodø/Glimt against Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels – news Nordland
