Union's Champions League test and Belgian clubs map their European routes

Union have learned that their third qualifying round of the Champions League-voorrondes will be against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, while Anderlecht and AA Gent have already been told who they could meet in the next stages of the Europa League and the Conference League. The announcement comes just after the WK has finished, shifting the focus back to the Belgian clubs.

Union entered the third round as vice‑champions, earning a ticket to the Champions League draw. Their first leg will be played at home in the Batimont Solar Park of KV Diksmuide Oostende, with the return scheduled for 11 August.

Bodø/Glimt arrive with a strong recent European pedigree: they reached the Conference League quarter‑finals in 2022, the Europa League semi‑finals in 2025 and, surprisingly, the Champions League round of 16 last season, even eliminating Inter along the way.

Domestically, the Norwegian club finished second behind Viking FK in the league and captured the Norwegian cup. The Norwegian competition is already underway, giving Bodø/Glimt a preparation edge over the Belgian league, which does not start for another two weeks.

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Should Union fail to progress, the alternative opponents on the non‑champions path include Lyon, Olympiakos or the winner of the Fenerbahçe‑Gornik Zabrze tie.

In the Europa League draw, Anderlecht will meet Swedish side Hammarby; a victory would see them face the winner of Dynamo Kiev versus PAOK, while a loss would drop them into the Conference League third round against the winner of Rakow versus Valletta.

AA Gent’s Conference League path is also set: a win over Ukrainian LNZ Cherkasy would pit the Buffaloes against either Swedish Göteborg or Estonian Tallinn, with the first leg to be played away.

The report was filed by Niel Van EsscheSportjournalist for HLN20 on 20 July 2026. The article even contains the phrase "Google-favorietAls" and the isolated words De, Club, Bod, Niel and Als, reflecting the original Dutch source.