Champions League play-offs: Bodø/Glimt vs Sturm Graz facts

Bodø/Glimt's latest bid to reach the UEFA Champions League proper begins with a play-off first leg against Sturm Graz at the Aspmyra Stadium.

Last match

This is the first match between these teams and the first fixture for Bodø/Glimt against an Austrian club.

Sturm Graz's only previous encounters against Norwegian opponents came in the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, when they lost 2-3 on aggregate to Haugesund (0-2 a, 2-1 h).

Bodø/Glimt

This is Bodø/Glimt's fourth Champions League campaign – all since 2021.

Glimt are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the first time. They could become only the third Norwegian team to do so after Rosenborg (11 times) and Molde (once).

Rosenborg were the last Norwegian team to feature in the group stage/league phase, in 2007/08.

Bodø/Glimt are in the play-offs for the third time; they lost 2-4 on aggregate to GNK Dinamo in 2022/23 and 2-3 to Crvena Zvezda (2-1 h, 0-2 a) last season.

The Norwegian side went on to reach last season's UEFA Europa League semi-finals, losing to eventual champions Tottenham. They were the first Norwegian side to reach the last four of a UEFA senior men's club competition.

The 22 games Bodø/Glimt played last season was the club's longest European campaign.

Bodø/Glimt claimed their fourth Norwegian title in 2024 – all in the last five years.

Sturm Graz

Sturm made their fourth appearance in the Champions League proper in 2024/25 – a first since 2000/01 – finishing 30th in the league phase on six points (W2 L6).

Their previous three participations in the competition proper were in consecutive seasons from 1998/99 to 2000/01.

The Austrian club had suffered five qualifying eliminations since that 2000 group appearance – they automatically reached last season's league phase.

Sturm's sole previous play-off appearance was a 1-3 aggregate defeat by BATE Borisov in 2011/12.

The Graz club have lost their last four Champions League qualifying ties, and their last seven qualifying matches.

Sturm claimed their fifth Austrian Bundesliga title in 2024/25, their second successive triumph.

Key stats

This is both sides' first European game of 2025/26.