Inter Milan Freezes in Norway

BODO, THURSDAY - Never underestimate Bodo/Glimt when playing at their home ground. The frigid temperature in Bodo, Norway, even froze Inter Milan, resulting in a 1-3 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League round of 16 playoffs on Thursday (February 19, 2026) early morning WIB. Aspmyra Stadium, Bodo/Glimt's home ground, once again became the graveyard of European giants.

The result complicates Inter's path to the knockout phase. The "Nerazzurri" need to score at least three goals without conceding to advance without going through the drama of a penalty shootout. On the other hand, Bodo/Glimt's victory is considered surprising as they were not favored compared to Inter leading up to the match.

Bodo/Glimt even managed to take the lead first through Sondre Fet in the 20th minute. Surrounded by Inter's attacking initiative from the start of the match, Bodo/Glimt was able to threaten through quick short passing play. Fet's goal originated from a combination of short passes between Hakon Evjen, Kasper Hogh, and concluded with a sharp finish from Fet.

"I think we were a bit lucky today. We were very effective, but this is just an ordinary performance for us today. This is a good result, but an average display," said Bodo/Glimt Coach, Kjetil Knutsen.

The ability to play in tight spaces has also been a key to Bodo/Glimt's success in breaking down the solid defense of Inter, commanded by Manuel Akanji. When Bodo/Glimt successfully broke the deadlock, the Inter players seemed to be affected by the cold temperatures of the city of Bodo, as they struggled to thaw their frozen attacking creativity.

Instead of being creative with a combination of short passes, Inter's equalizing goal scored by Pio Esposito ten minutes later was more about exploiting Bodo/Glimt's weakness in anticipating crosses. The loose ball resulting from the cross was not cleared by the Bodo/Glimt defender and was seized by Esposito.

Inter's performance improved in the second half. Coach Cristian Chivu instructed the two wing-backs, Carlos Augusto and Matteo Darmian, to advance alongside the two forwards, Lautaro Martinez and Esposito. With four players in the attacking line, the focus of Bodo/Glimt's defense was divided.

The absence of players who usually serve as the center of creativity did not significantly diminish Inter's sharpness. Without the injured Hakan Calhanoglu and the benched Federico Di Marco, Inter played more boldly. Two defenders, Alessandro Bastoni and Francesco Acerbi, initiated attacks from the back, while Akanji positioned himself slightly further forward on the right wing.

However, Bodo/Glimt appeared more compact and disciplined in anticipating Inter's attacks. Bodo/Glimt employed a basic formation of 4-3-3 that shifted to 4-4-2 when defending. The 4-4-2 formation made Bodo/Glimt's central area very dense, prompting Inter to focus their attacks more from the flanks.

While Inter was focused on closing the gap, they were surprised by the second goal from Bodo/Glimt scored by Jens Hauge in the 61st minute. Hauge's goal took advantage of the negligence of Inter's defense, which was slow to close the large gap on the right side.

Inter's shock hadn't subsided yet, when three minutes later, Bodo/Glimt pulled away after Kasper Hogh scored their third goal. Bodo/Glimt's ability to play in tight spaces proved too difficult for Inter to stop, as their offside trap was broken by Didrik Bloomberg, who then played the ball to Hogh.

Leading by a two-goal margin, Bodo/Glimt opted for a more cautious approach by strengthening their defense. This score is considered sufficient as a capital for their visit to Inter's home ground in the second meeting next week. Inter's champion mentality is crucial for turning the situation around.

"We were surprised by their two counterattacks. We knew they would do that and they are very good at it. Within three minutes, they scored their second and third goals, and we tried our best to reduce the deficit, but unfortunately, we were unsuccessful. However, we still have one more match to play," said Chivu.

This defeat ends a streak of six consecutive victories for Inter across all competitions. After gaining confidence by defeating Juventus in the continuation of the Italian League, Inter's progress was unexpectedly hindered by a mediocre team from Norway.

Bodo/Glimt once again proved that the title of giant killers attributed to them is not merely a coincidence. After successfully defeating Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, this time it was Inter's turn to become a victim. City had already frozen at Aspmyra Stadium when they lost by the same score as Inter.

Thanks to this victory, Bodo/Glimt is getting closer to becoming the first Norwegian team to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League since Rosenborg in the 1996-1997 season.

In another match, Newcastle United won decisively 6-1 against Qarabag, Atletico Madrid drew 3-3 with Club Brugge, while the home team Olympiacos Piraeus was defeated by Bayer Leverkusen 0-2.

(REUTERS)