This is a real earthquake of European football. A team from a town of only about 50,000 people, owning a stadium of less than 9,000 seats, has knocked down one of the most formidable "big players" in England.
Only playing one official match since the beginning of December last year as the Norwegian national championship entered the winter break, Bodo/Glimt hosted Manchester City in the 7th match of the Champions League qualifying round with countless disadvantages.
However, the team from the North Pole created an unbelievable night. The Norwegian representative performed an energetic football with high-level pressing, extremely fast state change and superior physical foundation. They shocked Man City right from the first minutes.
Kasper Hogh became a hero when he scored a double in just two minutes (22th and 24th), punishing the mistakes of Man City's defense in the push-ups. In the 58th minute, Jens Petter Hauge completed the nightmare for the away team with a classy solo, increasing the score to 3-0.
The Citizens only had time to score a consolation goal in the 60th minute by Rayan Cherki, but that fragile hope was quickly dashed. Just two minutes later, Rodri received a second yellow card, leaving the field in disappointment, closing a disastrous evening for the English team.
The match could have ended with a heavier score for Bodo/Glimt, when the home team had two goals conceded due to offside and one shot hitting the crossbar.
3 precious points help the Norwegian representative rekindle hopes of winning a play-off ticket with 6 points after 7 matches. On the contrary, Man City is facing the risk of running out of the top 8, in the context of pressure surrounding Pep Guardiola and his students, just days after the bitter defeat in the Manchester derby.
Results of some other notable matches:
FC Copenhagen 1-1 Napoli
Inter 1-3 Arsenal
Real Madrid 6-1 AS Monaco
Olympiacos 2-0 Leverkusen
Sporting 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Tottenham 2-0 Dortmund
