The hallowed turf of the Giuseppe Meazza became the scene of one of the most shocking upsets in recent European football history. Inter Milan, a titan of the Italian game, has seen its Champions League ambitions for the 2025/26 campaign extinguished prematurely. Following a disappointing 1-3 defeat in the first leg on Norwegian soil, the Nerazzurri returned to Milan with a massive mountain to climb. What followed was a night of frustration, missed opportunities, and a clinical display from the underdog visitors that left the home crowd in stunned silence.
A Dominant But Fruitless Start For The Nerazzurri
From the opening whistle, the intent from Simone Inzaghi’s men was clear. Inter flooded the final third, desperate to find an early goal that would unsettle the visitors and shift the aggregate momentum. Federico Dimarco was the primary engine of this early pressure, consistently whipping in dangerous corners and searching crosses that tested the resolve of the Bodo/Glimt backline.
The home side found frequent openings, with Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi both finding space within the penalty area to test the goalkeeper. However, they met a formidable wall in Nikita Haikin. The Bodo/Glimt shot-stopper was in inspired form, commanding his area with authority and producing several key saves from long-range efforts to keep the scoreline level during the initial onslaught.
Resilient Visitors Stun The San Siro
While Inter controlled the lion's share of possession, Bodo/Glimt proved they were not merely in Italy to defend a lead. They remained a constant threat on the counter-attack, nearly taking the lead through a Hakon Evjen header that required a full-stretch diving save from Yann Sommer. Despite the scare, Inter continued to win corner after corner, but a lack of precision in their final touches meant they headed into the tunnel at halftime without a breakthrough.
The second half began with the same relentless pressure from the Italian side, but the atmosphere turned sour in the 58th minute. During a rare foray forward by the Norwegians, Ole Blomberg unleashed a stinging close-range effort. Sommer produced a brilliant initial save, but the rebound fell perfectly for Jens Hauge, who made no mistake in slotting the ball home. The goal silenced the Meazza and left Inter needing four goals to progress.
Desperation Leads To Defensive Gaps
Trailing on the night and trailing significantly on aggregate, Inter threw caution to the wind. The luck, however, was simply not on their side. Manuel Akanji saw a powerful effort rattle the woodwork, and Dimarco sent a promising shot sailing over the crossbar as the minutes ticked away.
With Inter committed entirely to the attack, the Norwegian side exploited the vacated space in the 72nd minute. Jens Hauge turned provider, delivering a perfectly weighted lofted pass into the path of Hakon Evjen, who finished beautifully to double the lead on the night. The 2-0 scoreline felt like a terminal blow to the Nerazzurri’s European hopes.
A Late Rally Falls Short
Refusing to surrender without a fight, Inter finally found a way through in the 76th minute. Following a chaotic scramble inside the box during a set-piece, Alessandro Bastoni reacted quickest to poke the ball into the net. The goal reduced the deficit to 1-2 and briefly ignited the home fans, who hoped for a miracle in the closing stages.
The final ten minutes were a frantic display of "total attack" from the Milanese giants. Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny both found themselves with sights on goal, but neither could find the clinical edge required to bypass Haikin again. As the clock wound down through three minutes of agonizing stoppage time, the referee's final whistle confirmed the impossible.
The Aftermath Of A Historic Upset
Bodo/Glimt’s 2-1 victory at the Giuseppe Meazza secured a 5-3 aggregate triumph, marking the most significant upset of the play-off round. For Inter, it is a disastrous result that raises difficult questions about their performance on the continental stage. For the Norwegian champions, it is a night of pure heroism, proving once again that in the Champions League, pedigree often counts for less than courage and clinical execution.