Bodo Glimt stun Inter to reach Champions League last 16 in 'historical moment'
bodo glimt completed a 2-1 victory at Inter Milan on Tuesday night to finish 5-2 on aggregate and become the first Norwegian side to progress to the Champions League last 16.
Bodo Glimt complete stunning win at San Siro
The Norwegian visitors, based around 70 miles inside the Arctic Circle, held a 3-1 lead from the first leg and repelled numerous first-half Inter attacks before scoring twice in the second half to win 2-1 on the night. Jens Petter Hauge opened the scoring and Håkon Evjen added the second, leaving Inter with too much to do over the two legs.
How the crucial goals unfolded
The opener came after 58 minutes when Ole Didrik Blomberg pressured Manuel Akanji into a mistake, nicked the ball and stung Yann Sommer’s palms with a fierce drive; Jens Petter Hauge calmly prodded home the rebound for his sixth goal in this season's competition. The second was a passing finish that began in Bodo/Glimt’s own half, ended with Hauge curling a cross into Evjen’s path, and saw Evjen take one touch with his left before slamming the ball past Sommer with his right.
What the coaches and players said
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, 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. " Evjen told Norwegian TV 2: "We have done something crazy. It is surreal. It was an incredible experience and a game where we beat them fair and square – mentally, physically and everything else there is. It is difficult to describe what we have done. " After the final whistle the two coaches, Knutsen and Cristian Chivu, stood chatting; Chivu appeared interested and polite but plainly bemused by the result.
Where this run sits in context
bodo glimt beat Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase to reach the knockout play-off round, and their run included beating Manchester City at home last month and Atlético Madrid away to sneak into the playoffs after failing to win their first six league stage games. The club won the Norwegian league for the first time in 2020, reached the Conference League quarter-finals in 2021-22 and the Europa League semi-finals last season before making their debut in the Champions League this season. Archive material from May 2025 highlighted the club's rise under the banner "Football in the Arctic – the incredible rise of Bodo/Glimt. " Their home matches can often be played in harsh wintry conditions.
Reaction in Italy and Norway
Inter, three-time winners of the competition and beaten by Paris St-Germain in the final just over nine months ago, entered the tie holding top spot in Serie A by 10 points and were undefeated in the league since 23 November. Midfielder Nicolò Barella said: "We didn’t really manage to challenge them tonight. The hardest thing was to create an opening. We didn’t manage to and congratulations to Bodø/Glimt – they won both games and deserved to go through. " The Italian press ran stark headlines, with La Gazzetta dello Sport using the line "No Excuses" and calling it an "Embarrassment for Inter with the team predictable and not very dangerous. " Fabio Capello criticised Inter's speed of play, saying: "I saw an Inter that was way too slow in all of their passing. Completely without speed. They tried to create openings centrally but did not manage it. What really struck me was that no Inter player managed to dribble past their opponent. " In Norway the media celebrated what many called the nation's biggest club result; VG headlined "Glimt claim historic scalp – 'This ends any discussion'" and Viaplay commentator Lars Tjærnås said: "For me this is the biggest result from a Norwegian club side of all time. There is no point discussing it, this is the biggest. "
What comes next
The 5-2 aggregate success secures Bodo/Glimt's place in the Champions League last 16 for the first time, where they will face either Manchester City or Sporting in the next round.
