Bodø/Glimt outclass Sporting to rack up 3-0 Champions League win in Norway | OneFootball

Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand intercepts a cross by Bodø/Glimt’s Jens Petter Hauge (Photo: Martin Ole Wold/Getty Images)

Sporting’s Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after the Portuguese team were well beaten by Bodø/Glimt, the Norwegian outfit continuing their sensational campaign with a 3-0 victory in the home leg of the last-16 tie tonight.

The Lions were thankful of avoiding Real Madrid in last week’s draw but warnings that the match against Bodø/Glimt went unheeded as a lacklustre Sporting were completely outplayed in the first half. Perhaps that is unfair on the hosts, whose dynamic easy-on-the-eye quick-passing game was simply too good for Sporting to handle.

The modest Norwegian club have captured the imagination of football fans all over Europe with their steady rise based on smart recruitment, stability and a strong local identity. Without being funded by a wealthy benefactor, it is the quality of their football that has enabled them to pull off successive wins against Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan – twice – and now Sporting.

Brilliant Bodø have Sporting chasing shadows

The coordinated way the team attacks and defends in a block, usually with all ten outfield players within a 30-40 metre vertical band, has proven so effective one is left wondering why other teams with more resources don’t play that way.

Sporting started promisingly, Luis Suárez lifting a chance over the bar early on, but the hosts hit back with the outstanding Jens Petter Hauge almost scoring soon afterwards.

Bodø gradually got on top, Sporting outnumbered in midfield whenever Trincão was bypassed with a simple pass and failing to drop back to help out the overworked Hjulmand and João Simões.

In the 24th minute the home team looked certain to score, Hauge releasing Hakon Evjen one-on-one with Rui Silva but the Sporting goalkeeper saved the day. A quick counter-attack gave Sporting a rare sight at goal but Luis Guilherme’s cross-shot was saved.

“Timeout” fails to stem one-way traffic

Rui Borges called for goalkeeper Silva to go down and feign injury for an unofficial “timeout” in order to try and reorganise his team, but it was to no avail as Bodø took the lead as soon as play got underway again.

Vagiannidis, deputising for the suspended Maxi Araújo, was adjudged to have shoved over Sondre Fet in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Fet himself took the penalty and made no mistake.

Still Sporting could not stem the constant waves of attacks and Bodø duly doubled their lead just before the break. An incessant spell of pressure saw the ball deflect to Ole Blomberg in the box and he finished coolly to send the home fans into delirium.

Sporting came out with far more determination in the second half and at last began to look threatening, Suárez twice going close to pulling back a goal.

Rui Borges sensed a goal could change the complexion of the tie, and made a triple change in the 63rd minute, Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos and Souleymane Faye entering the fray for Simões, Vagiannidis and Geny Catamo.

Kasper Hogh lands killer blow

But Bodø/Glimt were not just defending and continued to look dangerous with well-coordinated attacks and in the 71st minute they scored again to take a firm grip of the tie. Hauge was again at the heart of the action, a superb run and cross allowing Kasper Hogh to fire into the roof of the net from point-blank range.

To their credit, Sporting did not throw in the towel, Faye, Suárez and Bragança all close to pulling back a goal but it was not to be.

Sporting will have to produce something spectacular in Lisbon next Tuesday to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in the modern format of the competition.