FK Bodø/Glimt delivered one of the most eye-catching results in recent UEFA Champions League history as they swept aside Manchester City 3-1, recording their first-ever victory over English opposition and throwing the group wide open, Softfootball reports.
City arrived in northern Norway under pressure after a disappointing Manchester derby defeat to Manchester United last weekend, and the trip quickly lived up to its “banana-skin” billing. Played on an artificial surface in freezing conditions, the early signs were actually encouraging for Pep Guardiola’s side. They dominated possession and should have taken the lead inside 10 minutes, but Max Alleyne somehow headed Phil Foden’s corner over the bar from close range.
That miss proved pivotal. Against the flow of play, Bodø/Glimt struck first as Ole Didrik Blomberg delivered a teasing cross that Kasper Høgh powered home at the far post. City barely had time to regroup before the hosts doubled their advantage, with Blomberg again the creator, slipping in behind the defence and squaring for Høgh to finish clinically.
The Premier League champions looked rattled, and their frustration was summed up just before the interval when a loose ball dropped invitingly for Erling Haaland in the box, only for the striker to react too late and squander a golden chance to pull one back.
Guardiola resisted the urge to make changes at half-time, a decision that nearly backfired immediately as Bodø/Glimt thought they had a third goal, only for Håkon Evjen to be ruled offside. The reprieve was brief. Moments later, Jens Petter Hauge produced a sensational solo effort, curling an unstoppable strike into the top corner to make it 3-0 and send the home crowd into raptures.
City did respond through Rayan Cherki, who pulled a goal back, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished when Rodri was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in under a minute. From there, Bodø/Glimt managed the game superbly, even hitting the crossbar through Hauge and seeing Høgh denied a hat-trick by another offside call.
The hosts could have added further gloss late on, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Andreas Helmersen in a one-on-one. It mattered little, though, as the final whistle confirmed a famous night for the Norwegian champions, who move firmly into play-off contention heading into the final matchday.
After the game ended, Manchester city via its official X handle, shared the full time image of the disappointing loss away from home . They posted:
For City, it was another sobering setback following their derby defeat, leaving them at risk of finishing outside the top eight. New signing Marc Guéhi, who recently joined from Crystal Palace in a deal worth around £20m, was absent from the squad, as Guardiola’s side struggled badly without stability at the back on a night they will be keen to forget.
