EGNATIA, 90 MINUTES FROM THE LEAGUE PHASE! DEDE: WE CAME TO NORWAY TO WIN

Egnatia will play the most important match of their European season on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The Albanian champions face Lillestrøm SK at Åråsen Stadion in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round.

The first match in Rrogozhinë ended 0-0, leaving everything open in the battle for a place in the league phase.

Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 in both Norway and Albania, as the two countries are in the same time zone at this point of the year. The 13:00 time displayed on some platforms is the equivalent time on the East Coast of the United States.

The match will be broadcast live on the Albanian Radio Television network.

Dede: The first match showed that we could have won

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, head coach Nevil Dede described the opening leg as a difficult contest in which Lillestrøm started strongly before Egnatia responded and created several opportunities.

“It was a tough match. Lillestrøm started well and remained on top until midway through the first half. After that, we balanced the game. Considering the football we played and the chances we created, we should have won.”

During the first match in Rrogozhinë, Lillestrøm came close to scoring in the opening seconds and later saw a Ruben Gabrielsen goal disallowed by VAR for offside.

Egnatia responded strongly toward the end of the first half, while Ildi Gruda struck the crossbar after the break.

“We came here to win”

Dede expects the Norwegian side to begin the match with intense pressure, driven forward by their home supporters. However, the Egnatia coach believes his team can withstand that early momentum and gradually take control of the contest.

“We will also have the support of our fans, which will help us play well and accomplish our objective. I believe Lillestrøm will start aggressively and try to take advantage of playing at home.”

The Egnatia coach expects the balance of the match to change after the opening stages.

“I believe that after the 30th minute the game will become more balanced and everything will be equal. We will play our football. We came here to win, and we believe we can do it.”

Dede praises the conditions at Åråsen

The Albanian coach also praised the quality of the playing surface in Norway, highlighting the climatic differences between the two countries.

“We come from a Mediterranean country with a lot of sunshine. The climate does not allow us to maintain grass as good as this. I am not trying to compare our stadiums and pitches with those in Norway, but our pitch in Rrogozhinë is also very good.”

In the material provided, the final question — “What is the main factor that you believe gives you the opportunity to win?” — was not accompanied by Dede’s answer. For that reason, no answer has been included, to avoid publishing an inaccurate quotation.

What has the Lillestrøm coach said?

Lillestrøm are managed by Hans Erik Ødegaard, the father of Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Ødegaard.

The Norwegian club confirmed that Ødegaard and Kosovo international Ylldren Ibrahimaj would attend the official press conference one day before the match. However, at the time this article was prepared, the complete remarks from that press conference had not yet been published on the club’s official website. Lillestrøm SK

Following the 0-0 draw in Albania, Ødegaard acknowledged that the first leg had shifted between the two teams and that Egnatia gained control during part of the contest.

“Matches like this often swing back and forth, and that was the case here. We could have taken the lead after 30 or 40 seconds. Later, we lost some control and they gained momentum. In the second half, I thought the game became very disorganised.”

The Norwegian coach praised his players for their effort in the difficult weather conditions in Albania.

“It was extremely hot and the air was very heavy. That affected the match, but the players worked very hard and deserve full credit.”

Ødegaard also made it clear that he expects Lillestrøm to raise their level in the return leg.

“It will be a great occasion, and we are looking forward to it. At Åråsen, we will have to raise our level by one or two notches.”

The comments were published by Lillestrøm’s official website.

More than 7,000 supporters expected

Egnatia will face a passionate atmosphere in Norway.

Lillestrøm announced that more than 7,000 tickets had already been sold. Because of the high demand, the club opened part of the section normally reserved for visiting supporters to home fans. Lillestrøm SK

Following the first leg, Ylldren Ibrahimaj described Egnatia as a very strong team at home but expressed satisfaction with the result Lillestrøm secured in Albania.

“It was a very difficult away match against a very good home team. We are taking a very good result back with us ahead of the return match at Åråsen.”

Qualification scenarios

Following the 0-0 draw in the first leg:

If Egnatia win, they will qualify for the Europa League phase. If Lillestrøm win, the Norwegian side will qualify. If the score is level after 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played. If the teams remain level after extra time, qualification will be decided by a penalty shootout. The away-goals rule no longer applies. Portuguese officials appointed at Åråsen

UEFA has appointed an all-Portuguese refereeing team for the match. UEFA

Role Name Referee João Pinheiro First assistant referee Luciano Maia Second assistant referee Hugo Marques Fourth official João Gonçalves VAR Tiago Martins Assistant VAR André Narciso Match details

Match Lillestrøm SK vs Egnatia Competition UEFA Europa League Round Play-off, second leg First-leg result Egnatia 0-0 Lillestrøm Date August 27, 2026 Kick-off in Norway 19:00 Kick-off in Albania 19:00 Kick-off on the US East Coast 13:00 Stadium Åråsen Stadion Broadcast Albanian Radio Television network Referee João Pinheiro, Portugal Egnatia believe they can make history

Lillestrøm have home advantage, the support of their crowd and more than 7,000 fans in the stands.

Egnatia have Nevil Dede’s organisation, the confidence of the group and the performance from the first leg, which demonstrated that the Albanian champions are capable of competing with the Norwegian side.

There will be no room for calculations at Åråsen. One victory would send Egnatia into the UEFA Europa League phase.

Nevil Dede’s message is clear: “We came here to win. And we believe.”