Bodø/Glimt stun Inter Milan to reach Champions League last 16
Bodø/Glimt eliminated Inter Milan and reached the last 16 of the champions league after a 2-1 win at the San Siro that completed a 5-2 aggregate victory over last season’s finalists.
Champions League shock at the San Siro
Bodø/Glimt’s win completed victories for the Norwegians both home and away and sealed a 5-2 aggregate scoreline that sends them into the Round of 16. Inter dominated the first half but could not find an early goal, and the visitors repelled most of the home attacks across the 90 minutes.
How the goals unfolded
After a goalless first half, Jens Petter Hauge opened the scoring in the 58th minute when Manuel Akanji lost possession to Ole Didrik Blomberg; Blomberg charged into the box and, after his shot was saved by Yann Sommer, Hauge volleyed home the rebound. Hauge’s strike was his sixth Champions League goal this term and he scored in both legs against Inter.
Hauge, back at the San Siro where he had two difficult years at AC Milan, also set up the visitors’ second. Hakon Evjen (also written Håkon Evjen) finished a team move with a strike that made it 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate; Alessandro Bastoni later pulled one back for Inter to make the final score 2-1.
Saves, shots and a frustrating night for Inter
Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin made two early crucial saves for Bodø/Glimt, tipping over Federico Dimarco’s curling strike and keeping out Davide Frattesi’s goalbound effort, as Inter peppered the visitors’ goal in the first half. Inter finished the tie with 30 shot attempts and seven shots on target but managed only one goal across the second leg.
Some Inter players dropped to the floor after Hauge’s goal, realising how the task to overturn the deficit had become even harder. The two-legged loss follows Bodø’s 3-1 first-leg win in Norway.
Team notes, injuries and tactical choices
Inter entered the tie as Serie A leaders, currently sitting 10 points clear at the top of Serie A and three-time champions in the competition, making them overwhelming favourites on paper. Inter’s captain, Lautaro Martínez, picked up a calf injury in the first leg; while there was mention he could recover quicker than expected, Martínez was not available for Bodø’s visit to the San Siro.
Federico Dimarco had been an unused substitute in the Arctic Circle but was certain to start the second leg. Piotr Zieliński was set to operate at the base of midfield in Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s absence, while Nicolo Barella returned to the side after missing Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Lecce. Marcus Thuram was expected to partner Pio Esposito up front. The preview of the tie also noted that when Antonio Conte was appointed Inter boss in 2019 he sought to rid the club of its "pazza" tag and suggested Cristian Chivu would be wise to embrace the chaos presented by Bodø/Glimt; Kjetil Knutsen remained the Norwegian side’s manager guiding their tight-knit squad.
What this means next
Bodø/Glimt will advance to the Round of 16 and will face either Manchester City or Sporting; a Friday draw will determine whether they play Sporting or Manchester City. The Norwegians, still in their off season since the Eliteserien ended in late November, have played five total matches — all in the champions league — since the domestic campaign finished.
Bodø’s run has already included group-phase wins over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, and they added Inter to that list with their 3-1 first-leg victory. Other confirmed knockout outcomes from Tuesday’s action include Newcastle ending Qarabağ’s campaign 9-3 on aggregate after a 6-1 opening leg 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 that featured an Alexander Sørloth hat-trick and a golazo from Johnny Cardoso; Atlético will meet either Liverpool or Tottenham next. Bayer Leverkusen also advanced, protecting a 2-0 first-leg lead to knock out Olympiacos and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich next.
Match broadcasters listed for the tie included TNT Sports 1, discovery+, the discovery+ App, Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, TUDN. com, Univision NOW and the TUDN App. The next confirmed event for Bodø/Glimt is the Round of 16 draw on Friday, which will decide whether they meet Manchester City or Sporting.
