Champions League shock: Bodo/Glimt knock out Inter Milan — champions league stunner at San Siro
Bodø/Glimt beat Inter Milan home and away to progress 5-2 on aggregate, producing one of the biggest upsets in champions league history and reaching the last 16 for the first time. Jens Petter Hauge scored the second-leg opener at the San Siro and assisted Håkon Evjen as the visitors sealed a stunning success.
Champions League shock at San Siro
Inter dominated the first half but could not find an early goal as Bodø/Glimt repelled most attacks. Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin made two early crucial saves, first tipping over Federico Dimarco's curling strike and then keeping out Davide Frattesi's goalbound effort. The breakthrough for the Norwegians came in the 58th minute when Manuel Akanji lost the ball to Ole Didrik Blomberg, who charged into the box; Blomberg's shot was saved by Yann Sommer and Jens Petter Hauge volleyed home the rebound.
How the goals unfolded
Hauge's 58th-minute finish put the visitors firmly in control of the tie; it was his sixth Champions League goal this term and made him the highest-scoring Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single edition of the competition. Hauge had scored in both legs, adding to Bodø/Glimt's 3-1 first-leg win in Norway. Håkon Evjen then struck in the 72nd minute to make it 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate, before Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back to leave a 2-1 scoreline for the second match and a 5-2 aggregate result overall.
Inter's response and statistics
Inter, last season's finalists and three-time champions of the competition, pressed for goals but finished the tie with 30 shot attempts and seven shots on target, managing only one goal across the second leg. Some Inter players dropped to the floor after Hauge's opener as the task of overturning the deficit became even harder. Prior to the tie, Inter sat 10 points clear at the top of Serie A, which had made them overwhelming favourites for the knockout round play-off.
Bodø/Glimt's rising reputation
Bodø/Glimt, still in their off season in Norway, have built a reputation for producing results against the odds during their Champions League debut campaign. They had already beaten Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the competition's group phase before adding Inter to that list. The Norwegian side have played five total matches — all in the champions league — since the Eliteserien ended in late November, and their success now takes them into the Round of 16.
Team news and pre-match details
Before the second leg, Inter had faced selection and injury issues highlighted in pre-match coverage. Lautaro Martínez had picked up a calf injury in the first leg and, while there was a suggestion he could recover quicker than expected, he was not available for Bodø's visit. Marcus Thuram was expected to partner last week's goalscorer Pio Esposito in Martínez's absence. Federico Dimarco, an unused substitute in the Arctic Circle for the first leg, was certain to start the second leg. Piotr Zieliński was set to operate at the base of midfield in Hakan Çalhanoğlu's absence, and Nicolo Barella was due to return to Cristian Chivu's engine room after missing Saturday's 2-0 victory over Lecce. The commentary around Inter's longer-term leadership noted Antonio Conte's 2019 appointment and his effort to rid the Nerazzurri of a "pazza" tag, and observers suggested Cristian Chivu should embrace the chaos posed by Bodø's surprise run under Kjetil Knutsen.
Other knockout results
Elsewhere in the knockout round play-offs, Newcastle ended Qarabağ's time in the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate win after a 6-1 opening-leg victory and a 3-2 follow-up. Newcastle will next face either Barcelona or Chelsea. Atlético Madrid advanced 7-4 on aggregate over Club Brugge after a 4-1 win in which Alexander Sørloth scored a hat trick and USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso scored a golazo; Atlético will meet either Liverpool or Tottenham. Bayer Leverkusen also advanced and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich after protecting a 2-0 first-leg lead against Olympiacos.
Bodø/Glimt's 5-2 aggregate victory over Inter Milan removes last season's finalists from the competition and sends the Norwegian side into the last 16 for the first time in their debut Champions League campaign; a Friday draw will determine whether they face Sporting or Manchester City next.
