Bodo/Glimt completed one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history by knocking Inter Milan out of the competition at their San Siro fortress on Wednesday (AEDT).
The Norwegian club won the second leg of their playoff tie 2-1 in Milan after dominating the first leg for a 3-1 victory in Bodo.
Inter are three-time European champions, have played in two of the last three Champions League finals and are leading Italy’s Serie A by 10 points.
Football’s new home, Stan Sport, is the only place to watch the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, WSL, European World Cup qualifiers, J.League, NSWL and K League
Jens Petter Hauge celebrates. Stan
“Everyone is in disbelief. Astonishing. Tiny little club from Norway. I can’t believe it really,” Martin Tyler said on Stan Sport’s commentary.
It continues Bodo/Glimt’s giantkilling run in Europe after they stunned Manchester City 3-1 in the league phase and then came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 and secure their place in the playoffs.
Jens Petter Hauge opened the scoring in the 58th minute after pouncing a horror mistake from Manuel Akanji.
READ MORE: De Minaur stunned by world No.103 in ‘major shocker’
READ MORE: Rival coach lobs Galvin grenade to light Vegas fuse
READ MORE: Major Brownlow Medal shake-up after years of controversy
Hakon Evjen of Bodo/Glimt celebrates scoring. Getty
Hakon Evjen then killed off any faint hopes of an Inter comeback when he finished a beautiful team movement.
Alessandro Bastoni got a consolation goal for Inter in the 76th minute.
But many of the home fans had already left their seats.
NEW PODCAST! Shaky title favourites Arsenal face ‘bottle job’ taunts, and Tottenham Hotspur sink to a new low with relegation a genuine possibility
“We conceded a goal with an individual error, it happens in football, but the most difficult thing was to break the deadlock and we didn’t do it. Bodo deserve congratulations, they beat us home and away, so clearly they deserved to go through,” Inter’s Nicolo Barella said.
It is Bodo/Glimt’s first season in the Champions League.
The team from the Arctic Circle have been the fairytale story of this season’s competition.
Bodo/Glimt players celebrate in front of the fans. UEFA via Getty Images
“It has been a journey. There is a large group of us who have been part of it. There are unbelievably many people behind this who have such strong belief in the project,” coach Kjetil Knutsen said.
They became the first Norwegian side to advance from a knockout tie in the competition.
“Look at that amazing group. It’s surreal and insanely cool, I don’t know what to say,” Evjen said, while captain Patrick Berg added that it was “the biggest thing I’ve experienced in the course of my career.”
In other results, Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 4-1 and completed a 7-4 aggregate win, Newcastle United won 3-2 against Qarabag (9-3) and Bayer Leverkusen advanced 2-0 on aggregate against Olympiacos after 0-0 draw in the second leg.
A hat trick by Alexander Sorloth helped Atletico finally shake off Brugge.
A 3-3 draw in Belgium last week had seen Brugge come back from two goals down and then level again in the 89th minute.
In the second leg in Madrid it fought back once more after Sorloth fired Atletico in front in the 23rd minute.
Joel Ordonez leveled 13 minutes later.
Diego Simeone’s team went 2-1 ahead through Johnny Cardoso early in the second half and Brugge’s resolve was finally broken.
Sorloth completed his hat trick with goals in the 76th and 87th to secure Atletico’s place in the next round.
– with agencies