NEC close in on Champions League after knocking out Olympiacos

NEC Nijmegen are one step away from reaching the Champions League group stages after a hard-fought 2-1 win against Olympiacos.

After a 0-0 draw in Piraeus last week, NEC fell behind straight after half-time when Ayoub El Kaabi fired the 48-time Greek champions in front.

Bryan Linssen equalised with a lunging volley in the 70th minute to take the match to extra time.

The fans in the Goffertstadion thought they were celebrating a winner when Kaj Sierhuis headed the ball into the net in the 93rd minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

But with Olympiacos reduced to 10 men following the sending-off of Kostas Fortounis just before the end of regular time, NEC found the breakthrough when Emre Mor dispatched a loose ball in the penalty area.

Standing between NEC and the lucrative Champions League group is Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, who reached the last 16 of the competition last season.

Bodø/Glimt also needed extra time to overcome Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2 in the home leg for an aggregate score of 6-5.

The first leg will be played in Nijmegen on August 19, with NEC travelling to the Arctic Circle for the return leg on Tuesday, August 25.