Inter Vs Bodø/glimt — Champions League shock that rewrites the last-16 picture

The immediate consequence is unmistakable: Inter Milan are out and a small, northern Norwegian club has taken their last-16 slot. Inter Vs Bodø/glimt matters because the visitors’ 5-2 aggregate win ends a run by last season’s finalists and advances Bodø/Glimt into the Champions League last 16 as tournament debutants — a result the coverage calls one of the competition’s biggest shocks.

Why this changes the draw and the conversation

Bodø/Glimt’s progression removes a heavyweight from the knockout stage and hands their place to a club from outside Europe’s traditional big-five leagues. The win is framed as a seismic upset: it follows a 3-1 home win carried to the San Siro and completes a 5-2 aggregate. The real question now is how this outcome will be read by coaches and clubs who have watched Bodø/Glimt beat major opponents in recent fixtures.

Inter Vs Bodø/glimt — how the tie unfolded (key moments embedded)

• San Siro second leg: Bodø/Glimt won 2-1 on the night; aggregate 5-2 in their favour.
• Visitors took the lead when Jens Petter Hauge punished an error by Manuel Akanji.
• Hakon Evjen then added Bodø/Glimt’s second with a struck counter-attack finish described as a stunning strike.
• Alessandro Bastoni scored for Inter, but it was not enough to overturn the aggregate deficit.

That sequence completed the aggregate margin that will be remembered as a major upset in this play-off stage, knocking Inter out at the play-off stage of the Champions League.

Newcastle v Qarabag — key facts from the other play-off tie

Newcastle beat Qarabag 3-2 on the night and progressed 9-3 on aggregate. Sandro Tonali opened in the fourth minute after a parried header from William Osula; Joelinton followed with a volley from a Harvey Barnes cross a couple of minutes later. Qarabag pulled one back after half-time through Camilo Duran, who slipped past Dan Burn and finished past Aaron Ramsdale, the visitors having made a 2, 500-mile trip. Sven Botman restored Newcastle’s aggregate cushion with a header from Kieran Trippier’s corner. A later penalty was awarded for a Dan Burn handball; Aaron Ramsdale saved Marko Jankovic’s spot-kick but Elvin Cafarguliyev reacted quickest to score the rebound. Alex Murphy shared his reaction to making his Champions League debut during Newcastle’s win. Ciaran Kelly was reporting from St James’ Park for the live coverage.

Other results, scheduling and the broader play-off picture

• Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Olympiacos in the second leg and progressed 2-0 on aggregate; they will face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.
• Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge to set up a tie with either Liverpool or Spurs.
• The live page noted Champions League play-offs were ongoing and invited readers to use the 'watch & listen' tab for live coverage. More second-leg ties were scheduled to follow, with coverage returning at 18: 30 GMT on Wednesday for four more play-off second-leg ties.

It was also noted that the live coverage closed for that session with thanks to readers for joining and commenting.

How Bodø/Glimt’s rise is now part of the narrative

Bodø/Glimt are described as a tiny club from the Arctic Circle and tournament debutants. Their recent history in the provided context includes:

• They reached the semi-finals of a European competition the previous season, becoming the first Norwegian side to do so.
• They were in Norway’s second tier as recently as 2017.
• They are the northernmost team to ever play in the Champions League, based in the town of Bodø, a 16-hour drive north of Oslo and inside the edge of the Arctic Circle; the town’s population is given as 55, 000.
• The club operates on a budget described as a fraction of Europe’s biggest clubs.
• They were in their off-season: the Eliteserien ended on 30 November 2025 and will only resume in mid-March.
• In the period since that season end they have beaten Manchester City and Atletico Madrid and knocked out Inter by winning home and away.
• Their home win the previous week was 3-1 at Aspmyra Stadion, which has an artificial surface and a 9, 000 capacity.
• The aggregate result (5-2) is framed as triggering shockwaves and signalling a crisis for Inter and, by extension, a broader conversation about Italian football in the context of this coverage.
• Historically significant notes in the context: this is the first Norwegian side to win a knockout tie in the European Cup/Champions League since 1987-88; and Bodø/Glimt are described as the first team outside England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France to win four consecutive games against teams from Europe’s big five leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, with Ajax going on to win the European Cup that season.
• Head coach Kjetil Knutsen has been in charge since 2018, has been linked with other jobs during the club’s rise, turned down offers, and recently signed a contract until 2029. Knutsen described the moment as unbelievable and special in tone; further remarks in the original text are unclear in the provided context.

What’s easy to miss is how many separate threads this single tie ties together: sporting upset, scheduling oddities linked to Norway’s season, and a club trajectory that includes recent domestic and European landmarks.

• Key takeaways:
  • Bodø/Glimt progress to the last 16 as Champions League debutants after a 5-2 aggregate win over Inter.
  • Inter are eliminated at the play-off stage.
  • Newcastle progressed 9-3 on aggregate after a 3-2 win over Qarabag; notable events included a Ramsdale penalty save and a follow-up rebound goal for Qarabag.
  • Leverkusen progressed 2-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 second leg and will face Arsenal or Bayern Munich.
  • Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge to set up a tie with either Liverpool or Spurs; more play-off second legs were scheduled at 18: 30 GMT on Wednesday.

The bigger signal here is that European competition narratives can shift quickly when form, calendar differences and small margins collide — and this set of play-off results delivers several such shifts at once.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up: Bodø/Glimt’s off-season status, recent wins over major clubs and historic notes about Norwegian and wider European records are all part of why this result is being read as more than a one-off.