Bodø/Glimt produced one of the biggest shocks in recent Champions League history by eliminating Inter Milan, sealing a 2-1 victory at San Siro to complete a dominant 5-2 aggregate triumph in their UCL play-off tie.
The result makes Bodø/Glimt the first Norwegian club to advance from a knockout round in Europe’s premier competition since 1987, a remarkable milestone for a side that had never even won a Champions League match before January.
Inter faced a daunting task heading into the second leg, needing a three-goal margin, something they had never previously achieved in a Champions League knockout fixture.
The Serie A leaders started brightly, with Federico Dimarco’s inviting cross headed narrowly over by Sebastiano Esposito inside the opening minutes.
The hosts piled on the pressure throughout the first half. Davide Frattesi was repeatedly denied, first seeing a header saved and later another effort cleared off the line.
Dimarco also tested Nikita Haikin from distance, but the Bodø goalkeeper proved equal to the challenge with a series of sharp stops.
Despite Inter’s dominance, the visitors nearly struck before the break when Håkon Evjen’s header forced Yann Sommer into an awkward save.
After the interval, Inter continued to control possession, but their hopes unraveled just before the hour mark.
A lapse in concentration from Manuel Akanji gifted the ball to Ole Blomberg, whose effort was parried into the path of Jens Petter Hauge for a simple tap-in that stunned the home crowd.
Akanji nearly redeemed himself moments later, rattling the post from close range, but Bodø/Glimt soon delivered the decisive blow.
In the 72nd minute, Hauge threaded a precise pass through the Inter defence for Evjen, who calmly slotted past Sommer to effectively end the contest.
Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back late on, but it was merely consolation as the Norwegian champions saw out the remaining minutes comfortably.
From Arctic underdogs to last-16 contenders, Bodø/Glimt’s fairytale run continues, while Inter, knocked out before the round of 16 for the first time since 2020/21, must now shift focus to domestic ambitions, with both the Serie A title and Coppa Italia still within reach.
