GENEVA (AP) — Bodø/Glimt, known as the Cinderella club of the Champions League, is on the brink of making a return to the tournament's main draw, which features 36 teams. The draw is set to take place on Thursday, alongside established European powerhouses such as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Playoff Progress

The Norwegian team holds a 3-1 advantage against Dutch newcomers NEC Nijmegen, with the decisive match taking place at their home ground in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday. Norway could potentially see two teams progress, as domestic champions Viking are tied 2-2 with Dinamo Zagreb, who squandered an early two-goal lead in their first leg last week.

Upcoming Draw Ceremony

The Champions League draw ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Monaco. Meanwhile, the local team will be preparing for their own match, as Monaco defends a 3-2 first-leg lead against Gornik Zabrze in the Europa League playoffs.

Bodø/Glimt's Journey

Having previously triumphed over teams like Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan in last season's Champions League, Bodø/Glimt began this season in the qualifying rounds, needing to navigate two rounds in August. They have scored three goals in each of their three matches thus far, including a thrilling aggregate victory of 6-5 over Union Saint-Gilloise. The squad remains largely intact, with only one significant departure: Denmark forward Kasper Høgh was sold to Celtic for approximately £11 million ($15 million).

As the playoffs conclude, teams like Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Lyon are also vying for advancement, with Hapoel holding a 2-1 lead against Sabah in Azerbaijan, and Lyon tied 1-1 with Fenerbahce. The excitement builds as the Champions League landscape takes shape ahead of the draw.