Bodo/Glimt humble Man City in Arctic Champions League night | OneFootball

Bodo/Glimt stun Man City in Arctic Champions League shock

Bodo/Glimt announced themselves to Europe with a victory that felt both improbable and entirely earned, dismantling Man City 3-1 under the Arctic Circle lights. On a night shaped by cold, context and courage, the Norwegian champions turned their Champions League debut into a moment that will echo well beyond Aspmyra Stadium.

Played on artificial turf and in temperatures that sank to minus nine, this was a test City never solved. Pep Guardiola’s side arrived wounded from a derby defeat and departed chastened again, outplayed by opponents sharper in thought and braver in execution.

Arctic conditions expose City frailty

City’s problems surfaced early and never truly eased. Defensive uncertainty spread quickly, and Bodo/Glimt sensed it. After 22 minutes, Ole Didrik Blomberg’s looping cross found Kasper Hogh at the far post, the Dane heading calmly past Gianluigi Donnarumma to ignite belief inside the ground.

Two minutes later, belief became momentum. Max Alleyne miscontrolled deep in his own half, Blomberg pounced, and Hogh applied a ruthless first time finish for 2-0. City looked stunned, their structure loose, their responses hesitant.

Hogh almost completed a remarkable half hour hat trick, sliding in at the far post only to be denied on the line. Even so, the damage felt severe. At the other end, Erling Haaland’s difficult spell continued, a close range chance before half time drifting wide, his frustration visible on a return to familiar surroundings.

Bodo/Glimt seize historic moment

The second half delivered the flourish. Jens Petter Hauge carried the ball from deep, curled into space and bent a stunning strike into the top corner, a goal that belonged to the occasion as much as the player. It was football played without fear.

Rayan Cherki briefly reduced the deficit, but any hint of a comeback evaporated when Rodri was dismissed for a second booking. City’s resistance drained away, while Bodo/Glimt played with clarity and calm.

This was a club that spent much of its recent history far from Europe’s elite. Ten years ago, they were in Norway’s second tier. They had never beaten English opposition. Those details mattered only as fuel, not burden.

Guardiola’s concerns deepen

For City, the night raised uncomfortable questions. This was their youngest Champions League side, and it showed. Errors were individual yet collective, confidence brittle, control fleeting. As Guardiola admitted afterwards, “Everything is going wrong”.

Form underlines the concern. After closing last year with eight straight wins, City have managed just two victories from seven matches in 2026. Haaland has one penalty goal in eight games. Defensive solidity has vanished.

City now need a win against Galatasaray to secure a top eight finish. Bodo/Glimt, meanwhile, travel to Atletico Madrid still dreaming, their fairytale alive and deserved.