Inter Vs Bodø/glimt: Bodo/Glimt stun Inter Milan to reach Champions League last 16
In a result that reshapes this season’s knockout landscape, Bodo/Glimt beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Milan and 5-2 on aggregate to reach the Champions League last 16. The outcome matters now because the Norwegian side eliminated last season’s finalists and will advance as tournament debutants to face either Manchester City or Sporting.
Inter Vs Bodø/glimt at the San Siro
At the San Siro, Inter dominated the first half but failed to convert pressure into an early goal. Bodo/Glimt struck in the 58th minute after Manuel Akanji lost possession to Ole Didrik Blomberg on the edge of the Inter area; Blomberg charged into the box and his shot was pushed away by Yann Sommer, only for Jens Petter Hauge to volley home the rebound. Hauge, who had two difficult years at AC Milan, then set up Håkon Evjen, who scored in the 72nd minute with a precise right-footed finish into the far bottom corner to make it 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.
Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back for Inter in the 77th minute but it proved too late. As the decisive goal arrived, some Inter players dropped to the floor, a sign of how the visitors’ strike transformed the tie. Bodo’s goalkeeper Nikita Haikin had earlier produced two crucial saves—tipping Federico Dimarco’s curling strike over the bar and keeping out Davide Frattesi’s goalbound effort—helping the visitors survive long spells of Inter pressure.
Akanji turnover and Hauge’s landmark goal
The turnover by Manuel Akanji directly led to Bodo’s opener: Ole Didrik Blomberg’s run, Yann Sommer’s save and Hauge’s finish combined to swing momentum. That goal was Hauge’s sixth of this Champions League campaign, the most by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single edition of the competition, and it effectively widened the gap that Inter could not close despite sustained attacking play.
Aggregate route and Bodo/Glimt’s rise
Bodo/Glimt’s 5-2 aggregate progression came after a stunning 3-1 first-leg win in Norway at Aspmyra Stadion, a venue with a 9, 000 capacity and an artificial surface where the club has built a strong home record. The club, based in the small town of Bodo—a 16-hour drive north of Oslo, inside the Arctic Circle and with a population of 55, 000—were in Norway’s second tier as recently as 2017 and operate on a budget that is a fraction of Europe’s biggest clubs.
During their debut Champions League campaign the minnows have already beaten Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the group phase and now have added Inter to that list by winning both home and away. That sequence makes them the first team outside England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France to win four consecutive games against sides from Europe’s big five leagues since Johan Cruyff’s Ajax in 1971-72; Ajax went on to win the European Cup that season.
Kjetil Knutsen, the club and the broader implications
Head coach Kjetil Knutsen, in charge since 2018, has overseen Bodo/Glimt’s rapid rise and recently signed a contract until 2029. He has been linked with major jobs and bigger leagues but stayed at the club as it has advanced on the continent. Knutsen said, “Can you believe it, huh? A team from a small town up north, it’s unbelievable and today was a special game. ” He also told TV 2 in January: “For me, the people are the most important thing. ” He added, “That means mor” (unclear in the provided context).
The victory has wider consequences: Inter are three-time European champions and currently sit 10 points clear at the top of Serie A, which had made them overwhelming favourites for the knockout play-off tie. A 5-2 aggregate exit for a runaway Serie A leader will be read as a crisis at Inter and, some argue, for Italian football as a whole; it will also send shockwaves across the sport.
Champions League knock-on effects: Atlético, Leverkusen and the draw
Elsewhere in the knockout round, Atlético Madrid advanced after a 4-1 win over Club Brugge in the second leg, completing a 7-4 aggregate victory. Alexander Sørloth scored a hat-trick: he opened in the 23rd minute, Joel Ordóñez levelled 13 minutes later, Johnny Cardoso put Atlético 2-1 early in the second half, and Sørloth added two late goals in the final 15 minutes to seal the tie. Atlético will now face either Liverpool or Tottenham in the last 16.
Bayer Leverkusen sealed progression with a 0-0 draw at home to Olympiakos to win 2-0 on aggregate after Patrik Schick’s double in the first leg in Greece. Leverkusen will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the round of 16; the draw will take place on Friday.
Timing and context of Bodo’s achievement
The timing matters because Bodo/Glimt reached this stage while they are in their domestic off-season: Norway’s top-flight season ended on 30 November 2025 due to winter and will not resume until April. That scheduling contrast—Inter in full-season form and Bodo between campaigns—adds a striking dimension to the upset and underlines how the club’s reputation for producing results against the odds has continued in their debut Champions League appearance.
