Lillestrom return to home soil with the tie delicately poised after a goalless first leg in Albania, and the Norwegian side will expect to impose themselves far more aggressively in front of their own supporters. Egnatia have shown they can be dangerous on the counter, having sco…
Sign in for full analysis →Sign in to view how our call changed
Sign inLillestrom meet Albanian side Egnatia Rrogozhinë in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off round tie on Thursday, 27 August 2026. The Norwegian club are looking to secure a foothold in the tie and move one step closer to the league phase, while Egnatia are aiming to use home advantage after battling past Shamrock Rovers in the last round.
Egnatia manager will be forced into at least one defensive change. Left-back Edison Ndreca is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the previous round against Shamrock Rovers. Numan Ajetovikj is expected to deputise in the backline. There is also a doubt over Guillem Jaime, who picked up an injury in that same European fixture. Winger Alessandro Albanese carries Egnatia’s main attacking threat, having scored three goals in five European outings during the 2026-27 campaign.
For Lillestrom, manager Hans Erik Odegaard watched his side end a losing streak with a 1-1 league draw, a result that could convince him to name an unchanged starting XI. Felix Va netted in that match, taking his tally to four goals and five assists from 17 games. Key midfielder Eric Kitolano is set to be named only among the substitutes after his recent return from a broken leg.
Egnatia’s recent results in all competitions have been a mixed bag: D-W-D-D-L-W. Their last experience of European football saw them suffer a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Royal Antwerp in the 2022-23 Conference League third qualifying round, so they are determined to fare better at this stage. The scalp of Shamrock Rovers in the previous qualifying round has given them belief they can compete with Lillestrom.
Lillestrom’s recent form reads W-W-L-L-L-D. Ending a three-game losing streak in their last domestic outing provided a timely morale boost before this trip. Odegaard’s men know a positive result away from home is crucial if they are to avoid a similar fate to their last European campaign, where they failed to progress through Conference League qualifying.
With Ndreca absent and Jaime a doubt, much of Egnatia’s creative burden falls on Alessandro Albanese. The winger’s three goals in five European matches this season make him the hosts’ most direct route to goal. Lillestrom’s backline, likely marshalled by Ruben Gabrielsen, will need to track Albanese’s movement closely to prevent the Albanian side from building an aggregate lead before the return leg in Norway.
A tight first leg is likely, with Lillestrom desperate to avoid a repeat of Conference League disappointment and Egnatia aiming to extend their unexpectedly deep run by several more weeks.
Sign in to view match stats
Sign inSign in to view lineups
Sign inSign in to view head to head
Sign in
