BY OUR MAN AT THE METROPOLITANO
THE ARCTIC chill came to Madrid last night, and it froze Diego Simeone’s superstars right in their tracks.
In one of the greatest shocks in Champions League history, Norwegian underdogs Bodø/Glimt didn’t just survive the Riyadh Air Metropolitano—they conquered it. While the bright lights of Madrid were set for a home party, it was the visitors who shone the brightest, coming from behind to snatch a historic 2-1 victory.
It all started so well for the Spanish giants. Alexander Sørloth, the Norwegian giant playing against his countrymen, looked like he was going to be the villain of the piece for the visitors. In the 15th minute, he rose like a skyscraper to meet Dávid Hancko’s inch-perfect cross, powering a header home to make it 1-0.
At that point, Simeone’s men looked set to cruise into the top eight. Julián Álvarez—Atleti’s £81m man—was buzzing around, and Pablo Barrios even rattled the crossbar. But for all their “star power,” the hosts lacked the clinical edge to kill the game.
Bodø, who stunned Manchester City just last week, refused to play the role of the victim. Ten minutes before the break, they struck back.
A slick move down the right saw Fredrik André Bjørkan find Fredrik Sjøvold, who kept his cool to drill a low strike past the helpless Jan Oblak.
The Metropolitano fell silent, but the worst was yet to come for the Colchoneros.
On the hour mark, the “Yellow Horde” completed the comeback. It was pure “pinball” in the Atleti box—a frantic scramble that saw the Madrid defense resemble a Sunday League outfit. Amidst the chaos, the prolific Kasper Høgh reacted quickest, poking the ball home from close range to send the 500 traveling Norwegians into delirium.
Simeone threw the kitchen sink at it. He hauled off his captain Koke and introduced more firepower, but Bodø goalkeeper Nikita Haikin turned into a brick wall. He denied Sørloth a second and watched as Álvarez missed a sitter from six yards out.
The final whistle confirmed the unthinkable.
While Atleti’s stars slunk off the pitch, the minnows from the Arctic Circle celebrated a result that secures their spot in the knockout stages.
For Simeone, it’s back to the drawing board and a daunting play-off round. For Bodø/Glimt, the dream has no ceiling.
