City beaten on frustrating night in the Champions League

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Manchester City F.C.

·20 January 2026

City beaten on frustrating night in the Champions League

Manchester City were beaten 3-1 by Bodo/Glimt to dent our hopes of finishing in the top-eight of the Champions League.

Bodo/Glimt’s central striker Kasper Hogh struck twice in two first-half minutes for the Norwegian side as they caught out the Blues on the counter-attack to set up a famous victory.

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Jens Petter Hauge then curled a superb third for the home side before Rayan Cherki pulled a goal back from the edge of the box.

However, City hopes of getting back into the match were hit when Rodri was shown a red card after picking up two quick yellows.

The game in 250 words

Temperatures were sub-zero ahead of kick-off inside the Arctic Circle but it was a red-hot atmosphere at the Aspmyra Stadion long before Bodo/Glimt took a shock first-half lead.

Norwegian fans were excited for one of their biggest games since making their Champions League debut five years ago and also to welcome home national hero Erling Haaland.

City started on top with Cherki forcing an early save from Nikita Haikin before Max Alleyne was just off-target with a header from the resulting corner.

But that was about as good as it got with Bodo/Glimt striking twice in the space of two minutes midway through the half with Hogh getting both goals.

First he squeezed home a far post header from a tight angle before a sharp finish after the home side stole the ball to launch a fast counter-attack.

City pushed to pull a goal back before the break with Rodri winning a dangerous header that Haaland couldn’t quite turn in at the far post.

And when the number nine was quickest to Nico O’Reilly’s low cross, his fierce shot was just the wrong side of the post.

Tijjani Reijnders had a couple of shots at the start of the second half but the hosts continued to look threatening with Hakon Evjen having a goal disallowed for offside before Hauge curled an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

Cherki gave City hope when he drilled a low shot in from the edge of the box two minutes later but that was dampened when two yellow cards in less than minute resulted in Rodri being sent off.

Hauge almost repeated his extraordinary goal, curling an effort onto the top of the crossbar as the Norwegians used their extra man to swarm all over the Blues.

O’Reilly had a late header saved but it was a freezing night of frustration that hit our Champions League hopes.

TEAMS

BODO/GLIMT: Haikin, Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan, Berg, Evjen (Saltnes 76), Brunstad Fet (Maatta 82), Blomberg, Hauge (Auklend 75), Hogh (Helmersen 75).

Subs not used: Faye Lund, Sjong, Nielsen, Aleesami, Bech Riisnaes, Dybvi, Klynge, Chooly

CITY XI: Donnarumma, Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ait-Nouri, Rodri (C), Reijnders, O’Reilly, Foden (Marmoush 70), Cherki, Haaland.

Subs not used: Trafford, Bettinelli, Ake, Doku, Gray, Mukasa, Noble, Mfuni, T. Samba

How we lined up

With injuries, illness, a suspension and the ineligibility of new signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, Pep Guardiola was short of too many options.

He sprang a surprise with Rayan Ait-Nouri starting at right-back with O’Reilly on the left and Rico Lewis pushed into midfield.

Phil Foden, nursing a broken bone in his hand, and Cherki were pushed further forward in an attacking three alongside Haaland.

The line-up was rejigged once we went down to 10 men with Omar Marmoush replacing Foden to try to rescue a result.

No way through

Haaland was the homecoming hero but it was a difficult night for the City striker.

He could have become the first Norwegian to score a goal at the home of a Norwegian side and he had half-chances.

But a player who averages exactly a goal a game in the Champions League will be annoyed that he couldn’t strike in his homeland.

His status as a Norwegian hero is secure after scoring 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers to help them to this summer’s tournament, for the first time in 28 years.

However, this was not the night he will have wanted for his country’s greatest ever striker.

Away day Blues

City have looked strong away from home this season but that came to a shuddering halt in Norway.

After four successive defeats on the road at the end of last season’s Champions League, we’ve looked good this campaign.

Monaco pinched a draw thanks to a controversial late penalty but we followed that up with superb wins in Spain at Villarreal and record winners Real Madrid.

But our good form to came an end on Bodo’s plastic pitch inside the Arctic Circle.

guardiola REACTion

“I don’t have any doubts in this competition, nothing is taken for granted that is for sure. Manchester United beat us and were better. Today they had momentum. But the team was there and we created - on the transition they are really good.”

AIt-NOURI REACTion

“It was a tough game. Bodo made a good game. We tried to push them in the first half. We tried to score. We made some mistakes and they scored two goals.

“We need to be ready for the next game because we have one more game against Galatasaray at home and we have a big game against Wolves on Saturday and we have to give our best next week.”