Inter Milan face Bodø/Glimt at San Siro with Uefa Champions League place at stake
Inter Milan return to San Siro trailing 3–1 against Bodø/Glimt and must overturn the deficit in the Uefa Champions League playoff second leg. The tie is finely balanced after a shock first-leg result in Norway, an Inter captain sidelined by injury, and contrasting approaches from the two managers heading into the return.
Uefa Champions League tie: scoreline, momentum and what it means
Bodø/Glimt stunned Inter with a 3–1 victory in the first leg, including a pair of goals around the hour mark that swung the tie decisively in their favour. That result leaves Bodo with one foot in the last 16 and the visitors carry confidence from recent high-profile results on the road. If Bodø progress, they would achieve milestones noted in coverage of the tie: becoming the first Norwegian team to win a knockout-stage match in this competition and possibly the first team from outside Europe’s top five leagues to record four straight wins against top-five league opponents in a European Cup/Champions League campaign since a noted run in the early 1970s.
Inter Milan lineup picture and injury blow
Inter will be without their captain, who suffered a calf injury in the second half of the first leg and will be sidelined for several weeks. That absence is confirmed for the trip to San Siro and has shaped the likely personnel choices for the second leg. Marcus Thuram is expected to partner Pio Esposito up front in place of the injured captain. Federico Dimarco, unused in the Arctic Circle, is set to start at San Siro, while Piotr Zieliński will operate at the base of midfield with Hakan Çalhanoğlu absent. Nicolo Barella is set to return to the engine room after missing the most recent domestic victory. Those changes underline a selection pivot for the home side as they chase at least two goals to level the tie.
Knutsen rejects pitch complaints and Bodo's mentality
Bodø/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen has rejected complaints made by Inter about the artificial surface at Bodø’s home stadium, stressing that his team must focus on controllables and that they are also unfamiliar with the San Siro pitch. Knutsen downplayed talk about playing surfaces and other external factors, arguing that focusing on such matters is unwise if a team wants to produce good performances. The visitors’ compact, high-intensity approach has been credited with recent successes, and that identity will be central as they travel to a grand European amphitheatre to defend their lead.
What to watch and how the tie could swing
- Inter’s response to being a goal or more behind: personnel changes in attack and midfield aim to increase creativity and goal threat.
- Bodø’s ability to manage the rhythm: the visitors will look to control tempo and rely on the collective intensity that produced the first-leg shock.
- Set pieces and quick transitions: with the tie tight on aggregate, moments of individual quality or lapses in concentration could decide the outcome.
The return leg will settle whether Inter can embrace the required chaos to overturn the deficit at home or whether Bodø/Glimt will complete a rare and historic progression. Recent updates indicate both teams are approaching the match with clear tactical plans and that details may evolve ahead of kickoff.
