Juventus snatched a dramatic 3-2 Champions League victory over Norway’s Bodo/Glimt deep inside the Arctic Circle on Tuesday, thanks to a stoppage-time strike from substitute Jonathan David.
The win marked Juventus’ first triumph of the season in Europe.
The journey to the match was almost as eventful as the game itself. Juve officials Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli faced a snow-related flight diversion to Sweden, narrowly making it to the stadium, only to witness Bodo take the lead through Ole Didrik Blomberg midway through the first half.
Bodo, as usual at their Aspmyra stadium, started brightly, with goalkeeper Nikita Haikin producing a series of outstanding saves.
Juventus gradually found their rhythm after the break, with Lois Openda scoring his first goal for the club just three minutes into the second half to level the score.
Fabio Miretti had a goal ruled out for offside, but Juventus soon took the lead when Weston McKennie headed home in the 59th minute.
Despite Haikin’s heroics, Bodo remained dangerous, and the match seemed destined for a draw when a late penalty by Sondre Fet made it 2-2 in the 87th minute after Juan Cabal fouled in the box.
The drama, however, wasn’t over. In stoppage time, Kenan Yildiz, introduced at halftime, caused chaos down the left, and although Haikin managed the initial shot, Jonathan David was quickest to react and slotted home the winner.
Juve’s players sprinted to celebrate in front of a small group of traveling supporters, fully aware of the stadium’s history as a challenging venue for Italian clubs, with both Lazio and AS Roma having previously struggled there.
The victory lifts Juventus to 21st in the 36-team standings, while Bodo, who reached last season’s Europa League semi-finals, remain in 31st with just two points.
