Knutsen Rejects Inter Complaints as Bodø/Glimt Carry 3–1 Lead into Champions League Second Leg
Inter Milan travel to the second leg of a champions league playoff with a 3–1 deficit to overturn at San Siro, while Bodø/Glimt’s manager Kjetil Knutsen has publicly rejected Inter’s complaints about the Norwegians’ artificial surface. The matchup now hinges on fitness questions and tactical tweaks after a dramatic first leg in Norway.
Inter Milan face 3–1 deficit after surprise result in Norway
Serie A leaders Inter Milan conceded a stunning 3-1 defeat in the first leg in Norway, a result created when Bodø scored twice in quick succession around the hour mark to shock the Italian side. That sequence left Inter with a two-goal hole heading into Tuesday night’s return at the San Siro; Inter’s captain Lautaro Martínez picked up a calf injury in the second half of the first leg and will not be available for the visit, with medical updates indicating he will be sidelined for several weeks.
Champions League second leg at San Siro
The second leg at San Siro represents the immediate test: Inter must score at least two more goals than Bodø to force progression, and the timing gives Cristian Chivu’s side a limited window to unsettle a tight-knit Norwegian squad. Federico Dimarco, an unused substitute in the Arctic Circle, is listed as a certainty to start the return match, while Nicolo Barella will return to Chivu’s engine room after missing Inter’s recent 2–0 victory over Lecce on Saturday.
Kjetil Knutsen rejects UEFA complaint about Aspmyra Stadion surface
Kjetil Knutsen dismissed Inter’s pre-match complaint to UEFA about the artificial pitch at Aspmyra Stadion, saying there is nothing he can do about it and that his team must focus on controllables. He added that Manchester City did not raise the issue and that his players are "not used to the San Siro turf, either, " urging focus on performance rather than extraneous factors. Inter’s complaint came before the teams took the field last Wednesday.
Bodø/Glimt’s goalscorers and historic run
Sondre Brunstad Fet, Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Hogh were on target as Bodø became the first Norwegian team to win a match in the Champions League knockout stages. Those results, coupled with earlier victories over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the league phase, place Bodø on course to become the first team from outside Europe’s top five leagues to win four straight fixtures in a European Cup/Champions League campaign against opponents from those leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, the season Ajax won the trophy.
What makes this notable is that a club from Norway could break a sequence that has stood for more than five decades, underscoring the measurable impact of Bodø’s season-long identity and intensity.
Inter lineup adjustments: Martínez out, Thuram and Esposito likely partners
With Martínez unavailable, Inter are expected to adjust their frontline. Marcus Thuram is likely to partner last week’s goalscorer Pio Esposito. Piotr Zieliński will operate at the base of midfield in the absence of Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Federico Dimarco’s return to the starting XI and Nicolo Barella’s reintegration after missing the 2–0 win over Lecce provide Chivu with fresh options as he seeks a gutsy performance to overturn the aggregate deficit.
Knutsen’s philosophy, Klopp’s praise and historic Norwegian milestones
Knutsen has framed Bodø’s approach as a clear identity requiring tough, functional, high-intensity training and an emphasis on match rhythm. He cited Jurgen Klopp as one of his biggest coaching inspirations after Klopp described Bodø’s performances as "crazy" earlier in the week. Knutsen said the team’s path demands consistent intensity on the field and that rhythm will be decisive.
Success on Tuesday would also mark a rare Norwegian advance: the last time a Norwegian side progressed from a knockout-stage tie in Europe’s top-tier club competition was when Lillestrom beat Linfield in the 1987-88 European Cup (round one), a historical reference that underlines the stakes for Bodø/Glimt.
Broadcast plans and viewing outlets
The match will be carried across multiple platforms, including TNT Sports 1, discovery+, the discovery+ App, Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, TUDN. com, Univision NOW and the TUDN App. Teams, staff and officials will converge on San Siro with a mix of tactical caution and urgency: Inter chasing goals to protect domestic momentum, Bodø defending a lead that could rewrite recent European precedents.
The return fixture will determine whether Inter can embrace the chaos once warned against when Antonio Conte took charge in 2019 and worked to rid the Nerazzurri of their "pazza" tag, or whether Cristian Chivu’s side will be undone by the same unpredictability the Italians have struggled to contain this season. Knutsen has warned against distraction; outcome will depend on resilience, adjustments and the small margins that decide two-legged ties.
