Bodo Glimt’s seismic win in Milan reshapes European football’s underdog map

Why this matters now: bodo glimt’s victory in Milan immediately elevates a small Arctic-side into the Champions League last 16, forcing established elites to rethink preparation for atypical opponents and spotlighting Norwegian club football on a historic scale. The ripple effects will be felt first among competing big‑league teams and tournament planners who must now account for form outside traditional calendars.

What falls on competitors and observers

Inter Milan arrived at the San Siro as Serie A leaders by 10 points and unbeaten in the league since 23 November, yet they were beaten 2-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate. That blunt result forces rivals to confront a pattern: a side based roughly 70 miles inside the Arctic Circle has just completed a sequence of shocks that now clearly affect match planning and scouting. Here’s the part that matters: teams that previously treated this opponent as a one-off upset now face a club that has beaten multiple top-league opponents in the same campaign.

Bodo Glimt at the San Siro — match essentials from Feb 24, 2026

Playing at the San Siro on Feb 24, 2026, Bodo Glimt defended a 3-1 first-leg lead and produced a resolute performance to complete a home-and-away double over Cristian Chivu’s Inter. Jens Petter Hauge opened the scoring in the 58th minute after Ole Didrik Blomberg pressured Manuel Akanji into a mistake; Blomberg’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Yann Sommer but Hauge prodded home the rebound. Hakon Evjen added a second in the 72nd minute with a passing move that began deep in Bodo territory and ended with Hauge curling a cross for Evjen to finish. Alessandro Bastoni later pulled one back for Inter, but it was not enough to alter the tie.

Turning points and match anatomy

• 58' — Pressure on Manuel Akanji led to the rebound finish by Jens Petter Hauge.
• 72' — A counter carved open Inter; Hakon Evjen finished from Hauge’s cross.
• Late — Akanji hit the post during Inter’s attempt to recover; Inter’s attempts to create openings were limited.
• Support — around 3, 000 travelling Bodo fans were present and celebrated the decisive second-half sequence.

Inter’s strategy produced numerous early attacks that were repelled; Bodo’s compact first-half shape and ruthless second-half execution were decisive.

Records, context and the run that made it possible

Bodo Glimt’s 5-2 aggregate success secures the club’s place in the Champions League last 16 for the first time. The club had failed to win any of its first six league-stage games and had only three points from six matches by the start of January, at which point its chance of progressing was calculated at 0. 3% a month before this knockout. In a few weeks the team beat Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the league phase, then defeated Inter over two legs — a sequence that makes them the first Norwegian side ever to win a Champions League knockout tie and the first overall in the European Cup since Lillestrom in 1987-88.

There is a broader historical signal: Bodo are the first team from outside Europe’s top five leagues to win four consecutive games in Europe’s premier competition against opponents from those leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, and Jens Petter Hauge’s six goals this season are the most ever by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single European Cup/Champions League edition.

Immediate aftermath and what’s next

The win sets Bodo Glimt up to face either Manchester City or Sporting (Sporting CP mentioned in some accounts) in the last 16. The club’s manager, Kjetil Knutsen, described the occasion as a historical moment for the club and Norwegian football. Players celebrated the surreal nature of the run; Hauge noted the feeling of disbelief at being among the competition’s last teams. Inter players and staff were left searching for answers after a home defeat to a team they had beaten in the first leg.

Quick Q&A

Q: Has this Bodo run been built overnight?
A: No. 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 the season before their debut Champions League campaign, showing a steady climb in European competition.

Q: Were there clear match-defining errors?
A: A pressured error by Manuel Akanji at 58' created the opening that Hauge finished, and Inter struggled to fashion openings thereafter.

What’s easy to miss is how the club’s calendar and environment — including a domestic season that does not start until next month and home games played in harsh wintry conditions — have fed a distinctive preparation rhythm that seems to catch big-league opponents off guard. The real test will be how Bodo Glimt handle a last‑16 tie against one of Europe’s current heavyweights in the weeks ahead.