Newcastle through as Bodo/Glimt create Champions League history against Inter | OneFootball

Last season’s finalists Inter have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s recent history.

Bodo have been defying expectations for years under Kjetil Knutsen. He has led the minnows to four league titles since 2020 and helped them become the first Norwegian club to reach the last four of a major European competition when they faced Tottenham Hotspur in the 2024/25 Europa League semi-finals.

Reaching the last 16 of the Champions League adds another incredible achievement to his CV and further enhances the club’s pedigree.

It’s not as if they had an easy ride to this point. They beat Manchester City at home, defeated Atletico Madrid away, and drew with Borussia Dortmund away and Spurs at home.

Facing Inter in the play-offs was expected to bring a brave goodbye, but Bodo did what they always do under Knutsen and took the tie straight to Christian Chivu’s side.

Their first-leg 3-1 victory gave the Italian giants a mountain to climb, but the expectation remained that they would overturn the deficit and progress.

As the two sides approached the hour mark in Milan, it remained 3-1 on aggregate and Bodo felt they had one foot in the next round. When Jens Petter Hauge scored to make it 1-0 on the night, it finally sank in among the Nerazzurri fanbase that they were going to be on the wrong end of an almighty shock.

Hauge has epitomised Bodo all season, scoring against Man City, Spurs, Dortmund and Inter across both play-off legs.

He also added an assist as Bodo extended their aggregate lead to 5-1, and Alessandro Bastoni’s goal 15 minutes from full-time – three minutes after Hakon Evjen’s finish – proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

Beating Inter 5-2 on aggregate is nothing short of astonishing. On paper, it’s a massive shock. In the history books, it will go down as a massive shock. But Bodo were always capable of doing this.

That doesn’t take anything away from their achievement. They have dismantled last season’s runners-up, beating them home and away in a knockout tie.

On Tuesday, they became the first Norwegian team to win a Champions League knockout tie since the competition was rebranded in 1992.

They are also the first club from outside Europe’s top five leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France) to win four consecutive matches in Europe’s premier competition against opponents from those nations since Ajax in 1971/72.

Inter, meanwhile, are the first finalists not to reach the last 16 the following season since Chelsea in 2012/13.

Absolutely incredible stuff. And they could have a Man City rematch in the next round. It’s them or Sporting.

Bodo will be joined in the last 16 by Premier League side Newcastle United, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, and former finalists Bayer Leverkusen.

A 0-0 draw was enough for Leverkusen at home to Olympiacos after winning 2-0 in Greece last week, while Atletico made hard work of Club Brugge before pulling away in the second half of the second leg.

Former Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth netted a hat-trick for Diego Simeone’s men, who were pushed hard by an impressive opponent.

Newcastle made extremely light work of Qarabag over two legs and had virtually qualified for the next round just 33 minutes into the first leg, when they raced into a 4-0 lead.

It wasn’t as comfortable at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe rotated his side, but goals from Sandro Tonali and Joelinton in the opening six minutes on Tuesday prompted the old “cricket score” shout from Jon Champion.

There were three goals in a seven-minute spell early in the first half, as Qarabag pulled one back and scored from the rebound after a penalty saved by Aaron Ramsdale, with a Sven Botman header sandwiched in between.

It was frustrating for Ramsdale not to keep a clean sheet – again – but minutes for Alex Murphy, William Osula and Leo Shahar were encouraging.

Newcastle scored nine goals across two legs and showed a ruthless streak few expected, but their concentration levels will need to improve going forward.

They will face either Barcelona – who beat them at St James’ Park in the league phase – or Premier League rivals Chelsea in the last 16. We all know who they’d prefer.

Chelsea are absolutely beatable over two legs, and if Newcastle reach the quarter-finals in what has been a difficult season, Howe will have even more credit in the bank.

But Tuesday night was all about Bodo’s brilliance and Inter’s collapse. From finalists to elimination at the hands of a club with no supposed right to be there represents a staggering fall.