Lillestrøm return to the Europa League proper on Thursday evening when Portuguese cup winners Torreense visit Åråsen for the opening round of the league phase.

Hans Erik Ødegaard’s side arrive after successive Eliteserien victories over Brann and Vålerenga, while Torreense are preparing for the first European match in their history. The visitors may operate in Portugal’s second tier, but their extraordinary Taça de Portugal triumph last season provides ample warning against treating them as routine opposition.

Analysis

Lillestrøm arrive with momentum – and another European milestone

European nights at Åråsen have been relatively rare in the modern era, making Thursday an important occasion for a club whose route back to this level has been anything but straightforward.

Lillestrøm earned European qualification through their Norwegian Cup success before surviving a tense Europa League playoff against Egnatia. The first leg in Albania finished goalless, and LSK then had to come from behind at Åråsen in the return. Sander Moen Foss equalised late in normal time before Thomas Lehne Olsen struck in extra time to complete a 2-1 victory.

That experience may prove useful against opponents likely to be comfortable making Thursday’s match difficult and attritional. More encouragingly for Ødegaard, Lillestrøm have rediscovered some domestic momentum at exactly the right time.

A 1-4 home defeat against Fredrikstad at the end of August represented a significant setback, but the response has been impressive. LSK went to Bergen and defeated Brann 2-1 before winning the derby against Vålerenga 2-0 at Åråsen last Saturday.

The derby performance was particularly useful preparation for Europe. Ruben Gabrielsen opened the scoring after 25 minutes before Lehne Olsen came from the bench to make the game safe in the closing stages. It was also a second victory over Vålerenga this season after LSK won 2-0 at Intility Arena in April.

Ødegaard therefore has genuine competition for places in attack. Fredrik Gulbrandsen started against Vålerenga before being replaced by Lehne Olsen after 74 minutes. Gulbrandsen has scored two goals in eight appearances for Lillestrøm since joining from Molde, having previously scored five league goals for Molde earlier in the 2026 season.

Lehne Olsen’s impact from the bench against Vålerenga also strengthened his case for a larger role, particularly after his decisive contribution against Egnatia.

Felix Vá and Daniel Bassi provide speed and directness around the central striker, while Ylldren Ibrahimaj and Eric Kitolano started in midfield in the derby. At the back, captain Gabrielsen partnered Moen Foss, with Lars Ranger and Frederik Elkær completing the defensive unit in front of Pontus Dahlberg.

The temptation will be to attack Torreense immediately in front of an expectant Åråsen crowd. LSK may be better served by showing some patience. Their opponents have already demonstrated that they are comfortable surviving long periods without control of matches.

Torreense’s remarkable journey reaches Norway

Very little about Torreense’s presence in the Europa League is conventional. The club remain in Liga Portugal 2 after missing out on promotion last season, but earned direct European qualification through a sensational Taça de Portugal campaign. Luís Tralhão’s side completed that run by beating Sporting CP 2-1 after extra time in May’s final, delivering the first Portuguese Cup in the club’s history.

Thursday therefore represents their first appearance in European competition. Their domestic start has been considerably less spectacular. Torreense travel to Norway after a goalless draw at home to Leixões last Friday, a match in which Manu Pozo wasted a particularly inviting first-half opportunity. It left Tralhão’s team with only one victory from their opening six Liga Portugal 2 fixtures.

That record should encourage Lillestrøm, but Torreense’s cup exploits demonstrate why league position alone is a dangerous measure of this team.

Their success last season was built partly on an ability to stay competitive against supposedly stronger opposition. The challenge at Åråsen will be different, not least because of the surface, atmosphere and intensity LSK are likely to bring from the opening minutes.

Torreense travelled to Norway with a 24-man squad. Goalkeepers Adriel, Silas Bjerre and Bruno Mesquita are included, while experienced Cape Verde defender Stopira is among the defensive options. André Simões, Nuha Jatta and Alejandro Alfaro provide alternatives in midfield, with Dany Jean, Musa Drammeh, Manu Pozo, Karem Zoabi and Malik Abubakari among Tralhão’s attacking choices.

One potentially important new option is João Marques, who joined on loan from Braga at the beginning of September and was registered for the Europa League.

Interestingly, Tralhão will not be the figure addressing UEFA media duties during the European campaign. Assistant Carlos Simões conducted the pre-match press conference because Tralhão does not hold the UEFA Pro licence required under competition regulations. Simões acknowledged the gulf in experience between the clubs but made clear that Torreense have travelled to compete rather than simply enjoy their historic occasion.

The Portuguese side will expect an aggressive opening from Lillestrøm and are likely to prioritise keeping their shape before attempting to exploit spaces as the hosts commit numbers forward.

Verdict

There is a danger in viewing this purely as an Eliteserien club against a Portuguese second-tier side. Torreense would not be here without an exceptional cup run that culminated in victory over Sporting, and a team capable of producing that result deserves considerable respect. Their relatively modest start to the new Liga Portugal 2 season does, however, suggest that consistency remains an issue.

Lillestrøm have more immediate momentum. Wins over Brann and Vålerenga have provided an excellent response to the Fredrikstad defeat, and the manner in which they survived their playoff against Egnatia should also help if Thursday becomes uncomfortable.

With Åråsen behind them and several different attacking options available to Ødegaard, LSK should have enough to begin their league-phase campaign with three points — but Torreense’s capacity to frustrate stronger opposition means this could require patience.

Our prediction: Lillestrøm 2-0 Torreense.

Tip

Our tip: Lillestrøm to win.