Inter Vs Bodø/glimt: 'Historical moment' as Bodø/Glimt dump Inter and reach Champions League last 16
In a shock at the San Siro, the playoff tie often framed as inter vs bodø/glimt ended with Bodø/Glimt beating Inter Milan 2-1 and advancing 5-2 on aggregate, a result that sent the Norwegian side into the Champions League last 16 for the first time and marked a rare giant-killing on European football’s biggest stage.
Inter Vs Bodø/glimt: how the night unfolded in Milan
Under sustained pressure from the hosts in front of the San Siro crowd, Bodø/Glimt struck first in the second half when Ole Didrik Blomberg seized on a loose pass on the edge of the Inter area in the 58th minute; Yann Sommer pushed Blomberg’s shot away but Jens Petter Hauge reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range for the opener. Håkon Evjen put the tie beyond doubt in the 72nd minute with a right-footed finish into the far bottom corner. Alessandro Bastoni pulled a goal back for Inter in the 77th minute, but the 2-1 win on the night left the Norwegians 5-2 ahead over two legs.
From a 3-1 first-leg cushion to a sealed scalp
Bodø/Glimt arrived in Milan holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg and repelled numerous first-half Inter attacks before scoring twice in the second half to complete a home-and-away double over Cristian Chivu’s men. The result confirmed the Norwegians’ place in the last 16, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting after the draw on Friday. The club is based around 70 miles into the Arctic Circle and has already beaten Manchester City and Atlético Madrid during the league phase of this Champions League campaign.
What the players and coaches said
Boss Kjetil Knutsen said, "It is a historical moment for Bodo and I think also for Norwegian football. " Jens Petter Hauge, who scored the opener and set up Evjen’s finish, added: "It sounds not true, but we are there, among the last teams in the competition, " and noted he was back in the San Siro where he had a two-year spell at AC Milan. Inter coach Cristian Chivu praised the visitors’ credentials, saying, "We know there's a lot of competitiveness in the Champions League... And they have proved that. They showed it against Dortmund, against Madrid, against City, against us twice. It's a team which has energy. We could have done better in Norway, we could have done better today, too. "
Shock, reaction and the context of Inter’s season
Jurgen Klinsmann described Inter’s exit as a "catastrophe. " Inter were without Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu through injury, and goalkeeper Nikita Haikin produced important saves that frustrated Inter’s attempts to score. The club’s recent history in Europe was recalled: last season Inter reached the Champions League final but were crushed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain, lost to AC Milan in the Italian Cup semifinals and finished runner-up to Napoli in Serie A. Simone Inzaghi was replaced by Chivu, whose only previous senior managerial position had been a few months in charge at Parma, and the club brought in Ange-Yoan Bonny, Luis Henrique, Petar Sučić and Manuel Akanji without what has been described as a serious outlay in the transfer market.
More tie results and the draw on Friday
Bodø/Glimt’s win came on a night of decisive results elsewhere. Atlético Madrid beat Club Brugge 4-1 on the night to complete a 7-4 aggregate victory, with Alexander Sørloth scoring a hat-trick; Sørloth put Atlético in front in the 23rd minute, Joel Ordóñez levelled 13 minutes later, Johnny Cardoso put Atlético 2-1 early in the second half, and Sørloth completed his treble with goals in the final 15 minutes. Bayer Leverkusen held Olympiakos to a 0-0 draw and progressed 2-0 on aggregate after Patrik Schick’s double in Greece. The round-of-16 draw will take place on Friday; Atlético will face either Liverpool or Tottenham, Leverkusen will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal, and Bodø/Glimt will meet either Manchester City or Sporting.
How this run fits into European history
Bodø/Glimt’s progression carries several records: they are the first Norwegian side to win a knockout-stage tie in the Champions League and the first team from Norway to advance in the European Cup since Lillestrom in 1987-88. They are also the first side 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. Jens Petter Hauge has scored six goals in this edition, the most ever by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single edition. The fairytale run followed a stuttering start in the league phase — Bodø/Glimt failed to win their first six league-phase games and needed results against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid to reach the play-offs.
The draw on Friday will determine Bodø/Glimt’s last-16 opponent and set the next concrete test for a club whose campaign has already included victories over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid and a draw against Borussia Dortmund.
