Fresh from their victory in the Belgian Super Cup, Union Saint-Gilloise host Bodo/Glimt, who recently reached the Champions League round of 16, and whose form should be a serious cause for concern for the hosts.
Union SG defied the odds and beat favourites Club Brugge in the Super Cup match last week, winning on 5:4 on penalties. This was some consolation after Union lost the league title to Brugge several months ago.
Les Unionistes have become a regular participant in UEFA competitions since their return in 2022/23, even reaching the knockout stages in three out of four attempts.
Their pre-season form has been impressive, except for that extreme match against PSV, which they lost 7–3. But apart from that fixture, they won their other five friendlies, including their most recent one against Lille.
However, they now face the team that caused a sensation in the Champions League earlier this year – Bodo/Glimt.
Glimt reached the last 16 of the competition after securing five consecutive victories against Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting. In the return leg against the Portuguese side, however, they were unable to hold their ground and were knocked out.
Since then, they have suffered just two defeats in 19 competitive matches, and are currently in stunning form. Since the Norwegian Eliteserien resumed in July, Glimt have recorded five consecutive wins without conceding a single goal, making them the clear favourites for the domestic title.
How the bookies view it: They are underestimating the Norwegians
The bookmakers favour the home side, but they are by no means underestimating Glimt’s capabilities and are not ruling out an upset.
At the moment, you can back Royale Union at 21/20, whilst Bodo/Glimt are available at 21/10. It seems a draw is somewhat expected, as it is priced relatively low at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: A snooze fest in 2024
Speaking of stalemates, this is exactly what happened when the two teams met in the Europa League two years ago. In fact, their first and only H2H was completely uneventful, ending without goals at 0-0.
Back then, Union SG were the better team on the pitch and created plenty of opportunities, but failed to convert them.
Players to watch: Hauge is back on his favourite stage
Even if we could say that Glimt experienced a slight dip in form after their elimination from last season’s Champions League, that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Most importantly, Jens Hauge and Ole Blomberg are in excellent form right now, having been two of the key players who impressed last season.
Hauge has been involved in three goals in Bodo’s last two matches, whilst in the Champions League he scored six and provided five assists during the 2025/26 season. Blomberg has been directly involved in three goals in Bodo’s last four matches, whilst in the Champions League he scored two and provided four assists in 10 matches last season.
Probable line-ups
Union Saint-Gilloise: Chambaere, Allister, Sylla, Sykes, Smith, Perre, Zorgane, Patris, Olaru, Florucz, Fuseini
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Bjorkan, Aleesami, Bjortuft, Sjovold, Berg, Auklend, Fet, Hauge, Brynhildsen, Blomberg
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Union SG impressed me in their Super Cup match and, more generally, with their performance during pre-season, I don’t expect them to beat Bodo in this match.
The Norwegians have been playing competitive matches consistently and must surely be better prepared for a match of this calibre. I watch every one of their Eliteserien matches – as I often bet on their games – and I reckon they’re even better than they were a few months ago.
I certainly don’t think we’ll see a 0–0 draw again, but I wouldn’t be surprised by a 1–1 result. And since Glimt are the betting underdogs, there is extra value in the X2 double chance.
GambleAware