Inter Milan was eliminated by Bodø/Glimt’s dazzling double victory, and Italy’s football “Norwegian nightmare” continues

Written by Han Bing This is an upset worthy of Champions League history: eight months ago, Inter Milan was competing for the Champions League trophy, but in the recently concluded knockout playoff second leg, the Serie A leaders, the Nerazzurri, lost 1-2 at home to the Arctic Circle town team Bodø/Glimt. After the Italian national team was double defeated by Norway in the World Cup qualifiers, the Serie A leaders Inter were also knocked out by a Norwegian team valued €610 million less, continuing Italy football’s “Norwegian nightmare” this year.

Before the match, San Siro welcomed Vieri and Ronaldo, with the entire crowd standing and applauding in tribute. Manchester City’s coach Guardiola also attended, watching the Blue Moon team’s Round of 16 opponent. After 90 minutes, the three football legends were as stunned as Inter fans. The front page headline of La Gazzetta dello Sport was concise: “No Excuses.”

After losing 1-3 away in the cold Arctic Circle first leg against Bodø/Glimt, Inter remained confident about overturning the result at home. However, the Norwegians proved they are not only good on artificial turf in the Arctic Circle. In the first half at San Siro, they used a “Italian-style” low block defense to withstand multiple Inter attacks. In the second half, AC Milan player Hauge capitalized on Akanji’s mistake to open the scoring, making the aggregate 4-1. Later goals from Evjen and Bastoni were only statistical as Inter’s elimination was sealed.

For Inter, leading Serie A by 10 points, this is one of the biggest humiliations in their Champions League history. Bodø/Glimt achieved four consecutive wins against Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter — the last non-top-five league team to win four straight against top-five league clubs was Ajax 54 years ago (1971/72 season).

Inter’s poor finishing was the decisive factor in this humiliating record. The Nerazzurri led in total shots (47 to 15) and shots inside the box (26 to 4), yet were behind in shots on target (9 to 11). Inter’s shot conversion rate was only 4%, while Bodø/Glimt’s reached 29%. Lautaro could only watch from the stands, frustrated as teammates missed scoring chances. Barella, who wore the captain’s armband in his place, embodied Inter’s overall poor performance.

Over 180 minutes in two legs, Inter’s average possession was 65% to 35%, mostly pressing the opponent around 60 meters from goal, but still struggled to score. Their attack lacked both speed and composure in front of goal. Luck was also against them, hitting the post three times across both legs. Inter’s streak of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stage for four consecutive years has come to an end.

Bodø/Glimt’s victory in Milan and their club’s first progression to the Champions League last 16 is far more remarkable than the 41 medals Norwegians took from the Milan Winter Olympics two days earlier. Inter’s coach Simone Inzaghi had to admit the pain of defeat: “My heart is full of bitterness. They played only four matches in the last three months and were fresher, but that’s the Champions League.”

The 70,441 spectators at San Siro even outnumbered the entire population of Bodø city (50,000). The final cheers belonged to over 3,100 away fans who traveled almost across Europe. Since the Champions League format changed in 1992/93, this is the first time Inter have been eliminated by a non-top-five league team. Inter also became the first team since Chelsea in 2012/13, who reached the previous season’s final, to miss the last 16. Conversely, Bodø/Glimt not only made their historic debut in the last 16 but are also the first Norwegian team to advance past the knockout stage since the format change. Additionally, the Arctic Circle underdogs earned a huge €11 million bonus for reaching the round of 16.

Last night, the other three top-five league teams—Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and Newcastle United—all advanced smoothly to the last 16, highlighting the embarrassment for Inter and Serie A. All six Premier League teams qualified for the Champions League last 16, setting a new record. After Inter’s exit, Serie A’s hopes rest on Juventus and Atalanta tonight, but Juventus suffered a heavy 2-5 away defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg, and Atalanta trails 0-2 at home to Dortmund, making comebacks very difficult.

Inter executive Marotta estimates that missing the Champions League last 16 will cost the Nerazzurri over €20 million. To cover the huge losses from this exit, besides inevitable player sales this summer, the season’s goal must be locked on winning the domestic double. Inter lead Milan by 10 points in the league, and the Derby della Madonnina advantage may widen this weekend. The cup semifinal opponent is Como, and if they reach the final, they will face a relatively weak Atalanta or Lazio. Only future trophies can partially mask the shame of Inter’s Champions League elimination.