Inter - Bodø/glimt: inter - bodø/glimt stun Serie A leaders to reach Champions League last 16
Bodø/Glimt completed a shock Champions League knockout play-off upset in Milan, beating Inter Milan 2-1 on the night to win 5-2 on aggregate and reach the last 16 for the first time. The result matters because the Norwegian side’s run—already featuring wins over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid—marks a landmark moment for the club and Norwegian football.
San Siro night: two goals, a 5-2 aggregate and a home-and-away double
Bodø/Glimt repelled numerous first-half Inter attacks in the second leg at San Siro before scoring twice to secure a 2-1 victory on the night and a 5-2 aggregate success. The Norwegians had arrived in Milan holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg and completed a home-and-away double over Cristian Chivu's side to advance into the Champions League last 16, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting.
Jens Petter Hauge and Hakon Evjen decide the tie
Jens Petter Hauge opened the scoring in Milan, registering his sixth goal in this Champions League campaign for the opener, and then provided the assist for Hakon Evjen’s finish that made it two. Hauge, back in the San Siro after a two-year spell at AC Milan, said: "It sounds not true, but we are there, among the last teams in the competition. " He added: "It will be really exciting to see what the next two games bring. " Hauge’s six goals are the most ever by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single edition of the European Cup/Champions League.
Kjetil Knutsen calls it a 'historical moment' for club and country
Bodø/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen described the achievement as "a historical moment for Bodo and I think also for Norwegian football. " The team, based around 70 miles into the Arctic Circle, have built a reputation for upsets and play home games that can often be staged in harsh wintry conditions. Their progression is the first time a Norwegian side has won a knockout-stage tie in the Champions League and the first Norwegian advance in the European Cup since Lillestrom in the 1987-88 first round.
Inter - Bodø/glimt at San Siro: context, injuries and selection notes
Inter Milan came into the second leg as Serie A leaders facing a 3-1 deficit. The club have won the competition three times and were beaten by Paris St-Germain in the final of this competition just over nine months earlier. Cristiano Chivu’s side had been caught cold by Bodø’s two quick goals around the hour mark in the first leg, and Bodø arrived emboldened by recent results on visits to Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid as well as their earlier group-phase victories over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.
On personnel, Lautaro Martínez picked up a calf injury in the first leg and will not be available for Bodø’s visit. Marcus Thuram was expected to partner last week’s goalscorer Pio Esposito. Federico Dimarco was an unused substitute in the Arctic Circle first leg but was described as a certainty to start the second leg. Piotr Zieliński was set to operate at the base of midfield in Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s absence, while Nicolo Barella would return to the engine room after missing the Saturday 2-0 victory over Lecce.
Wider significance: records and the unlikely route to the knockouts
Bodø/Glimt’s campaign has already rewritten several records. They are the first team from outside Europe’s big five leagues to win four consecutive European Cup/Champions League games against opponents from those leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, who went on to win the European Cup that season. The Norwegians’ run to the knockouts is especially remarkable given they failed to win their first six league-phase games and were left needing results against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid to reach the play-offs.
