The Semenjanas' Maximum Resistance in the Champions League Playoffs

BODO, THURSDAY – Amidst the usual run of results for underdogs, some teams created an anomaly by upsetting the Champions League veterans. Credit should be given to Bodo/Glimt, Galatasaray, and Club Brugge, who defied predictions and set up a thrilling second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 playoffs.

For teams with a long track record in the Champions League, such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan, appearing in the round of 16 playoffs may be a step backward. Big teams like them naturally aspire to secure automatic qualification through the top eight in the league.

However, the situation is different for Club Brugge or even Bodo/Glimt. Just being an underdog and fighting for a place in the round of 16 via the playoffs is already quite an achievement in a tournament system as challenging as it is today.

It is not surprising that these underdog teams are so motivated to prove their worth in front of the giant teams. Bodo/Glimt, for instance, once again made a surprise by defeating another giant, Inter Milan, 3-1, in a match at Aspmyra Stadium, Bodo, Norway, Thursday (19/2/2026) early morning WIB.

Winning is nothing new for mediocre teams. However, they typically win by relying on defensive tactics and lightning-fast counterattacks.

Bodo/Glimt is somewhat different. They are not passive while waiting for their opponents to let their guard down, but also strive to control the course of the match through ball possession. Bodo/Glimt recorded 42 percent ball possession, narrowly losing to Inter, which had 58 percent.

Despite losing possession of the ball, Bodo/Glimt successfully recorded six shots on target, surpassing Inter, which made four shots.

"I believe we cannot just sit back and hope for a counterattack. We also need to attack, using a medium or high defensive line, or perhaps defend well and hopefully create some dangerous counterattacks," said Bodo/Glimt Coach Kjetil Knutsen after the match.

Inter has become the third major team to succumb to Bodo/Glimt. Manchester City and Atletico have already fallen victim before them. Atletico was even defeated at their own home ground, the Metropolitano Stadium, in Madrid, Spain.

The victory over Atletico proves that Bodo/Glimt is not a team that is only strong when playing at home. They are equally dangerous when playing away. Therefore, it is not impossible for Inter to potentially struggle to turn the situation around even while playing in front of their own supporters.

Not only Bodo/Glimt, but Club Brugge also put up a strong fight when hosting Atletico at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium. After trailing 2-3, Brugge managed to secure a 3-3 draw thanks to a goal from Christos Tzolis in the closing moments of the match.

The draw felt like a defeat for the Atletico players who had felt they could secure an advantage before hosting Brugge in Madrid. Atletico defender, David Hancko, lamented Brugge's equalizing goal, which he believed should have been prevented.

"We started well, especially in the first half when they were really strong. However, we defended quite well and were able to score the second goal. In the second half, they managed to score, and that is why we are sad. When you are leading 2-0, 3-2, and do not win the match, that is not what we wanted," said Hancko.

A more phenomenal achievement was recorded by Galatasaray, which defeated the Italian giant, Juventus, 5-2 in Turkey. Leading 2-1 at halftime, Juventus lost control and conceded four goals in the second half.

"Our personality has declined. We have taken three steps back. We have failed to understand the difficulties and dangers of what we are doing. If we perform poorly in terms of game quality, we are always at risk in the defensive line. We will try to conduct a proper analysis ahead of the second meeting match," said Juventus Coach Luciano Spalletti.

The maximum resistance from Bodo/Glimt, Club Brugge, and Galatasaray also made the second leg of the playoffs even more exciting. Their qualification for the round of 16 will be decided down to the final minutes of the second leg.

If Bodo/Glimt, Brugge, and Galatasaray successfully achieved positive results in the first meeting, the opposite was experienced by other non-favored teams, such as Qarabag, Olympiakos, and AS Monaco. Qarabag was crushed 1-6 by Liverpool. Meanwhile, Olympiakos had to acknowledge the superiority of Bayer Leverkusen, 0-2.

Monaco almost followed in Bodo/Glimt's footsteps, but Paris Saint-Germain managed to turn the score around to 3-2 in the second half. (AFP)