Lillestrøm to face Lyon and Real Sociedad in Europa League

Norwegian club Lillestrøm has secured a spot in the Europa League group stage, becoming the only Norwegian team to compete in European club football this season. After defeating Albanian side Egnatia 2-1 on aggregate in the playoff round, Lillestrøm learned their group stage opponents.

Head coach Hans Erik Ødegaard expressed his desire to face Real Sociedad, a club where his son, Norwegian international Martin Ødegaard, had a loan spell. "It would be fun to go back there. I had some fun matches there. An incredibly nice city and a fun and good team to watch," Ødegaard told VG after the playoff victory.

His wish has now been granted, as Lillestrøm has been drawn into a group that includes the Spanish club. Additionally, they will face French powerhouse Lyon from the top seeding group. The draw also pits Lillestrøm against other European teams, including Celta Vigo, Bournemouth from the Premier League, and Czech clubs Victoria Plzen and Sparta Prague.

The team will also compete against Torreense from Portugal and Levski Sofia from Bulgaria. Meanwhile, Norwegian players Fredrik Aursnes and Andreas Schjelderup, playing for Benfica, will face Norwegian coach Henning Berg's Omonia from Cyprus, as well as AC Milan.

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It would be fun to go back there. I had some fun matches there. An incredibly nice city and a fun and good team to watch.