Bodø/Glimt’s remarkable Champions League journey continued on Wednesday night as the Norwegian club stunned Sporting Lisbon in the round-of-16 first leg. YankeeSports reports
The victory at their tiny Aspmyra Stadium added yet another chapter to what has become one of the competition’s most unlikely stories.
Sporting struggle in the Arctic Circle
Bodø/Glimt’s remarkable Champions League journey continued on Wednesday night as the Norwegian club defeated Sporting Lisbon 3-0 in the round-of-16 first leg.
Sporting became the latest favored side to falter in northern Norway. Manchester City and Inter Milan had already suffered defeats at the same venue earlier this year. The artificial turf and freezing conditions once again proved difficult for visiting teams.
Goals seal commanding win
Sondre Brunstad Fet opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a penalty, sending Rui Silva the wrong way. Ole Blomberg doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, sliding home a low shot. Kasper Høgh then added a third in the 71st minute, connecting with Jens Petter Hauge’s driven cross. It was Høgh’s fifth goal in Bodø/Glimt’s five-match winning streak.
Players outside the spotlight
Remarkably, none of the scorers has represented their national team. Fet, 29, and Blomberg, 25, have yet to be selected for Norway, while Høgh has not been picked for Denmark. Despite that, they continue to deliver on Europe’s biggest stage.
Quarterfinal dream alive
The win gives Bodø/Glimt a strong advantage heading into the return leg in Lisbon next Tuesday. The winner will face either Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 1-1 in Germany. With a population of just 55,000, the fishing town of Bodø could soon celebrate one of the most improbable quarterfinal appearances in recent Champions League history.
