Bodø/Glimt struck first on 25 minutes, finishing a slick transition as Jens Petter Hauge slid a pass to Sondre Fet, who placed his shot low to the left. The visitors then doubled the advantage from the spot at 44 minutes, with Helmersen converting calmly after a VAR-reviewed penalty award earlier in the half. Five minutes after the restart, Aleesami powered in a header from a Patrick Berg corner to make it 3-0, a moment that underlined the visitors’ strength on dead balls. NEC kept pushing and finally found reward at 85 minutes when Dušan Tadić created a big chance and Bischoff reacted quickest to fire home. By then, though, the gap was too wide and the away side’s structure too solid.

There were notable stoppages as well. Ole Didrik Blomberg departed injured on 76 minutes for Bodø/Glimt, while NEC’s Deveron Fonville left with a knock at 82 minutes. The card count stayed modest, with Tobias Storm and Jamiro Monteiro booked for NEC and Ola Brynhildsen cautioned for Bodø/Glimt. Late substitute Kevin Kers even rattled the woodwork for NEC, a reminder that the hosts kept threatening until the end. Across the 90, the Norwegian champions picked their moments and defended the box with conviction.

The numbers behind a clinical away win

NEC controlled possession with 69% and piled up 22 total shots to Bodø/Glimt’s 8, yet the visitors still outscored them 3-1. The hosts hit the target 6 times, while Bodø/Glimt needed only 4 shots on target to net 3 goals. Big chances tell a similar story: NEC created 2 and scored 1, while Bodø/Glimt produced 3 and converted 2. Touches in the box favored NEC by 32 to 18, but the finishing and decision-making inside the area leaned yellow. On set plays, Bodø/Glimt were superior, turning 2 corners into telling moments, one of them a goal.

Cross volume was a theme, with NEC attempting 43 but finding accuracy on just 8 of them for 19%. Bodø/Glimt tried only 4 crosses and connected with 1, yet their deliveries tended to arrive when the box was loaded. Final-third entries were 96 to 40 for NEC, reflecting long spells of pressure that did not always translate into clear looks. The expected goals numbers in the feed read 0.00 for both teams, so the shot mix, chance quality and actual goals land the stronger punch here. When the margins thinned, Bodø/Glimt were more direct, more decisive and more productive.

Clear it, claim it, save it: a defensive masterclass

Bodø/Glimt’s back line lived on the front foot in their own box, finishing with a striking 64 clearances compared to NEC’s 11. They also led tackles 26 to 15, turning duels into territorial gains and halting NEC counters early. The visitors edged total duels 53% to 47% and dominated aerially 56% to 44%, which mattered against a stream of crosses. Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin backed the unit with 5 saves, including 3 classified as big stops, plus one high claim and a punch. His decision-making off the line absorbed pressure when NEC dialed up set pieces and second balls.

Individually, Aleesami paired his goal with 14 clearances and 2 tackles, while Fredrik André Bjørkan added 5 tackles and steady one-v-one defending. Captain Odin Luras Bjørtuft cleared 12 times and won key duels, and Fredrik Sjøvold chipped in with 11 clearances and 4 tackles. Patrick Berg marshalled midfield distances, posted 6 clearances of his own and delivered the corner for 3-0. The fouls column read 12 for Bodø/Glimt and 9 for NEC, and that controlled aggression slowed NEC’s rhythm in central spaces. For a team that had just 31% possession, this was a clinic in compactness, timing and penalty-area control.

Match MVP: Darko Nejašmić’s midfield clinic

Despite NEC’s defeat, the Sofascore Rating board named Darko Nejašmić as the match MVP with an 8.3. His profile on the ball stood out, completing 56 of 66 passes and mixing 11 long balls with 5 accurate to stretch the field. He logged 84 touches, 29 ball carries and a healthy share of progression, constantly re-starting possession and moving NEC up a line. Out of possession, he set the tone with 4 tackles, winning 3, and stacking 7 ball recoveries to sustain the press and protect transition. Two last-man tackles underlined his alertness when structure broke.

He also contributed 2 key passes and one block, a full-spectrum shift that merited the top Sofascore Rating on the pitch. Around him, Tjaronn Chery (7.2) delivered 6 key passes and 11 crosses, while Adam Tahaui’s 22-minute cameo brought 3 key passes and 11 crosses for a 7.1. Clement Bischoff scored late and finished on 7.0 after 3 shots and 4 key passes. For Bodø/Glimt, Aleesami posted an 8.0 with a goal and a mountain of clearances; Berg and Haikin both checked in at 7.4, and Blomberg matched that with incisive carries and a drawn penalty earlier in the match. Fet’s opener and two-way work earned him 7.3 to round out the leading performers.

After the whistle: what the result tells us

Match control can look different from scoreboard control, and this one showed why. NEC’s 69% possession and 96 final-third entries produced 22 shots, but Bodø/Glimt’s choice moments were cleaner and their box work superior. The visitors leaned into set pieces, penalty-box defending and a goalkeeper in form, a combination that travels well in Europe. NEC were not far off; a post hit, 7 corners and steady wing service suggest the ideas were there. Sharpen the last ball, break the first duel in the area and this contest takes another shape. For Bodø/Glimt, winning battles at both penalty spots was the separator.

It all fits neatly into the profile of the UEFA Champions League, Playoff Round, where margins can swing fast and smart details carry weight. Track all ratings, momentum charts and next fixtures on Sofascore’s match page and the full UEFA Champions League hub. If this was a snapshot of Bodø/Glimt’s travel plan, it was a tidy one. If you are NEC, there is enough on tape to build from quickly. The score said clinical; the stats said stubborn. And the story said Europe.