Bodo/Glimt pulled off a huge shock in the Champions League as they knocked out last season’s finalists Inter Milan and reached the last 16 for the first time.
Playing at the San Siro, Bodo/Glimt stunned the Italian giants with a calm and brave performance. Jens Petter Hauge scored the opening goal and later set up Hakon Evjen for the second, guiding the visitors to a famous win. They will now face either Manchester City or Sporting in the next round.
Inter came into the match as clear favourites. They are three time champions of the competition and sit far ahead at the top of Serie A. Many expected them to overturn the tie at home.
Bodo/Glimt had already shown they can trouble big teams in their debut Champions League campaign. They had beaten Manchester City and Atletico Madrid earlier in the tournament. A 3-1 win in the first leg also gave them a strong edge before the return match.
Inter started fast and pushed forward from the opening minutes. They created several chances in the first half and kept pressure on the visitors. Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin stood firm and made key saves. He tipped over a curling shot from Federico Dimarco and then blocked a strong effort from Davide Frattesi.
The key moment came in the 58th minute. Manuel Akanji lost the ball to Ole Didrik Blomberg, who drove into the box and fired a shot. Yann Sommer made a fine save, but Hauge followed up quickly and scored from the rebound. It was his sixth goal in this season’s Champions League, the most by a Norwegian player for a Norwegian club in a single campaign.
That strike made the task very difficult for Inter. Some of their players showed clear frustration as the pressure grew. Akanji later came close to scoring, but his shot hit the post.
Bodo/Glimt then struck again in the 72nd minute to seal the tie. Hauge sent a smart pass into the area for Evjen, who took a touch and finished neatly past Sommer.
Inter pulled one back four minutes later when Alessandro Bastoni scored from close range. Still, the home side needed more goals and time was short.
Bodo/Glimt stayed organised in defence and held on until the final whistle. The victory sends them into the last 16 and marks a historic moment. They become the first Norwegian club to win a knockout tie in Europe’s top club competition since Lillestrom did so in the 1987-88 season.
