NEC out of Champions League after early red card kills hopes

NEC Nijmegen will play in the Europa League group phase after going down to a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate defeat on Tuesday night to Bodø/Glimt in their Champions League play-off.

Clement Bischoff’s late goal in the first leg had given Dick Schreuder’s side a glimmer of hope, but it was extinguished in the second minute when goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz was sent off for handling outside the penalty area.

The 10 men held out until just before half-time, when former Feyenoord defender Fredrik Bjørkan and Sondre Auklend took advantage of the gaping holes in NEC’s defence to score twice in three minutes.

NEC suffered further pain when Deveron Fonville deflected a cross into his own net, while Auklend shot wide of an open goal in the closing minutes.

Schreuder admitted his plans to overturn the 3-1 deficit from the first leg had gone up in smoke when Crettaz blocked a through ball with his hand.

“You can come up with all sorts of things, but several things we could have done better went wrong in that one moment,” he told Ziggo Sport.

“When I look at how they fought and how the boys who came in played, I’m incredibly proud. I can’t fault them.”

NEC will learn their opponents in the Europa League group stage when the draw takes place on Friday.