Bodo Glimt: 'Historical moment' as bodo glimt succeed against all odds
bodo glimt completed a shock 2-1 win at the San Siro to seal a 5-2 aggregate and reach the Champions League last 16 for the first time. The Norwegian side, based around 70 miles into the Arctic Circle, added another upset to a campaign that included wins over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.
Bodo Glimt celebrate historic progress
The aggregate result — 5-2 over two legs — guaranteed Bodo/Glimt a place in the round of 16 for the first time in the club's history. That achievement makes them the first Norwegian side to progress in a knockout-stage tie in the Champions League and the first overall in the European Cup since Lillestrom in the first round in 1987-88. Their last-16 opponents have been presented in two ways: one account says they will face either Manchester City or Sporting, while another named City or Portugal's Sporting CP as the alternative.
How the goals were scored
Defending a 3-1 first-leg lead, Bodo/Glimt absorbed early pressure at the San Siro before breaking the deadlock in the 58th minute. Ole Didrik Blomberg pressured Manuel Akanji into a mistake, nicked the ball and slammed a shot that Yann Sommer pushed onto the rebound; Jens Petter Hauge calmly prodded home. Alessandro Bastoni later pulled a goal back for Inter, but Håkon Evjen lashed in a second for the visitors in the 72nd minute to seal the night and send around 3, 000 travelling fans wild.
Tactical battle at the San Siro
Bodo/Glimt completed a home-and-away double over Cristian Chivu's Inter Milan by first repelling numerous first-half Inter attacks and then scoring twice in the second half. Inter headed into the tie as three-time winners of this competition and had been beaten by Paris St-Germain in the final of this competition just over nine months ago. Inter were top of Serie A by 10 points and had been undefeated in the league since 23 November, yet they struggled to create openings in the San Siro clash.
Reactions from players and coaches
Kjetil Knutsen, the Bodo/Glimt boss, described the result as a milestone: "It is a historical moment for Bodo and I think also for Norwegian football. " He also reflected on the journey in another comment: "Can you believe it? A team from a small town up north. It's unbelievable. " Jens Petter Hauge, who opened the scoring and has scored six goals in this season's competition, said: "It sounds not true, but we are there, among the last teams in the competition. " Hauge, formerly of Milan, also set up Evjen's strike. 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. " Inter midfielder Nicolò Barella admitted: "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. " Inter defender Yann Bisseck said: "We were unlucky. The ball simply didn't want to go in. They did what they had to do, and all I can do is congratulate them. " The former coach Fabio Capello criticised Inter's passing speed, saying the team looked "way too slow in all of their passing. Completely without speed. "
Statistical context and rarity
Bodo/Glimt's run has been startling: they failed to win any of their first six league-stage matches but then beat Manchester City at home and Atlético Madrid away to sneak into the playoffs. They are the first team from outside Europe's top five leagues — England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France — to win four consecutive games in a European Cup/Champions League campaign against opponents from those leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, with Ajax going on to win the European Cup that season. Jens Petter Hauge's six goals in this edition are the most ever by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single European Cup/Champions League season. A month ago, Opta put their chance of advancing to the round of 16 at 0. 3% after the team had picked up three points from six games in the league phase. The club's home matches can often be played in harsh wintry conditions, and the side's rise follows milestones including winning the Norwegian league for the first time in 2020, a Conference League quarter-final in 2021-22 and a Europa League semi-final last season before this debut Champions League campaign.
On the night at the San Siro, Ole Didrik Blomberg's pressure on Manuel Akanji, Hauge's composed finish and Evjen's composed second combined to stun the hosts and advance the Norwegian side into new territory in Europe's elite competition. Knutsen summed up the feeling: "It's been quite a journey to get where we are now, and there are so many people who have been part of that journey together. "
