Bodo Glimt: 'Historical moment' as bodo glimt reach last 16 against all odds
bodo glimt completed one of the competition’s biggest upsets with a 2-1 win at the San Siro, sealing a 5-2 aggregate victory that takes the Norwegian side into the Champions League last 16 for the first time. The achievement capped a campaign that already featured wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase.
Bodo Glimt in Milan
The Norwegian team, based around 70 miles into the Arctic Circle, went to Milan holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg and produced a resolute display to complete a home-and-away double over Cristian Chivu's Inter Milan. Bodo defended strongly in the first half to repel numerous Inter attacks before turning the tie decisively in the second half.
How the goals unfolded
Under sustained pressure early on, the visitors struck in the 58th minute when Ole Didrik Blomberg seized on a loose pass on the edge of the Inter area and drove at goal. Yann Sommer pushed his shot away but Jens Petter Hauge reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range. Håkon Evjen then put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd minute, guiding a precise right-footed effort into the far bottom corner. Alessandro Bastoni pulled a goal back for Inter in the 77th minute, but the 2-1 scoreline on the night left Inter with too much to do as Bodo won 5-2 on aggregate.
Key individuals and records
Jens Petter Hauge was again inspirational, scoring what was his sixth goal in this season’s Champions League for the opener and then setting up Hakon Evjen's finish for the second. That tally is the most ever by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single edition of the European Cup/Champions League. Boss Kjetil Knutsen said: "It is a historical moment for Bodo and I think also for Norwegian football. " Hauge, back in the San Siro where he had a two-year spell at AC Milan, added: "It sounds not true, but we are there, among the last teams in the competition. It will be really exciting to see what the next two games bring. "
Broader Champions League picture
Bodø/Glimt’s win made them the first Norwegian side to progress in a knockout-stage tie in the Champions League and the first overall in the European Cup since Lillestrom in the first round in 1987-88. They are also the first team from outside Europe’s big five leagues to win four consecutive games in a European Cup/Champions League campaign against opponents from England, Spain, Germany, Italy & France since Ajax in 1971-72, who went on to win the European Cup that season. The club’s fairytale run comes despite failing to win their first six league phase games, which left them needing results against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to qualify for the play-offs.
Reactions inside Inter
Those inside Inter reacted in stunned fashion. Jurgen Klinsmann branded the exit a "catastrophe" for the Serie A leaders. Coach Cristian Chivu acknowledged the competitiveness of the Champions League, saying teams at this stage have something and that Bodo had "proved that" with displays against Dortmund, Madrid, City and Inter twice. Chivu added that Inter could have done better in Norway and in Milan, that they had given everything to try to advance and that "that's football. " Inter midfielder Nicolò Barella said: "Bodo won both the matches, so they deserved to go through. They didn't put us in great difficulty today... the most difficult thing was to score and we couldn't. Of course, there is disappointment because our desire is to fight on all fronts. We tried, they were better. With one more point we would have advanced and would have saved ourselves this playoff but this is the new Champions League. "
Other knockout outcomes
Elsewhere in the playoffs, Alexander Sørloth completed a hat-trick as Atlético Madrid won 4-1 to beat Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate. Atlético had gone ahead in Madrid in the 23rd minute through Sørloth before Joel Ordóñez levelled 13 minutes later; Johnny Cardoso put Atlético 2-1 early in the second half and Sørloth scored twice in the final 15 minutes to complete his treble, sending Atlético into the last 16 to face either Liverpool or Tottenham. Bayer Leverkusen secured a last-16 spot after a 0-0 draw with Olympiakos gave them a 2-0 aggregate win following Patrik Schick’s double in Greece; Leverkusen will now face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the round of 16 and the draw will take place on Friday.
Bodo Glimt’s victory in Milan — and their broader run through wins over Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and a draw against Borussia Dortmund — ensures they remain one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories this season. An archive piece titled "Football in the Arctic - the incredible rise of Bodo/Glimt (from May 2025)" captures part of that journey, and the club will now await whether they face Manchester City or Sporting in the last 16.
