Bodo/Glimt upset Man City 3-1 in the Champions League
Bodo/Glimt of Norway pulled off a spectacular upset in the Champions League on Tuesday, defeating Manchester City 3-1 at home to earn their first-ever victory and maintain their faint prospects of advancing to the knockout stage.
Bodo took control after Kasper Hogh’s swift double and Jens Petter Hauge’s spectacular solo effort. City rallied with a goal from Rayan Cherki, but Rodri’s two rapid bookings in the second half left them with a mountain to climb.
Against the English powerhouses, who won the Champions League in 2023, Bodo coach Kjetil Knutsen’s straightforward strategy was to counterattack whenever possible. They capitalized on their chances and eventually cantered to victory with a team costing a fraction of what their opponents cost, demonstrating how devastatingly effective it was.
Danish striker Hogh started the game with a quick double halfway through the first half on a chilly night at the Aspmyra Stadium, overcoming his finishing problems from the conclusion of the previous campaign.
A few minutes later, he added a second goal with a peach-colored finish curled in at the right-hand post after scoring his first with an incredible header past Gianluigi Donnarumma’s legs.
While his colleagues fought to get him the ball, City striker Erling Haaland, who had been warmly welcomed by the Bodo players prior to the game, remained anonymous. “FULLY DESERVED TO WIN,” he said.
Just before the hour, Hauge’s incredible third goal with a curling strike in the 58th minute put the team from inside the Arctic Circle on track for an unexpected win, taking advantage of City’s inability to create.
City’s attempt to rally was thwarted when captain Rodri was sent off two minutes later for receiving two yellow cards in a single minute, notwithstanding Cherki’s score on the hour mark.
“It’s not good enough; Bodo deserved to win.” They have amazing football skills. We did the best we could, and I’m not sure what we could do differently.” “I think we played well until they score the first goal, and then they score again, and then Jens scores an all-time great goal and we get a red card,” City striker Haaland told Norway’s TV2.
With 13 points, City is ranked fourth in the 36-team standings ahead of the remainder of the week’s games, while Bodo is ranked 26th, barely outside the qualifying slots for the knockout playoffs.
In their last group match, Pep Guardiola’s City will face Galatasaray, while Bodo will visit Atletico Madrid.
