Arctic shock: How Bodo/Glimt stunned Manchester City 3–1 in historic Champions League upset

By Johnson Arua

Manchester City endured one of the most embarrassing nights in their Champions League history on Tuesday after suffering a stunning 3–1 defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadion.

The Premier League giants were overwhelmed in freezing conditions as Kasper Hogh struck twice in the first half, capitalising on defensive errors, before Jens Petter Hauge sealed a famous victory with a superb long-range effort shortly after the restart.

Rayan Cherki briefly reduced the deficit for City, but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Rodri was sent off for two quick bookings.

Playing in a fishing town of just 55,000 people, located 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Pep Guardiola’s men were caught cold both literally and figuratively.

Despite the vast financial and pedigree gap between the two sides, Bodo/Glimt showed relentless energy and fearless pressing to dismantle the 2023 European champions.

The hosts took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute following a defensive mix-up. Max Alleyne failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Ole Didrik Blomberg to deliver a cross that Hogh nodded past Gianluigi Donnarumma. City’s problems deepened just two minutes later when another lapse in defence left Hogh unmarked to calmly score his second.

City struggled to respond, with Erling Haaland again failing to make a decisive impact. The striker missed two clear chances before the break and has now scored just once in his last eight appearances in all competitions.

Bodo/Glimt continued their dominance after halftime and struck again in the 58th minute when Hauge punished a loose pass from Rodri, curling a brilliant effort into the top corner.

Cherki pulled one back moments later, but City’s resistance collapsed completely when Rodri was dismissed for two fouls committed within a minute.

The result marks Bodo/Glimt’s first-ever Champions League group-stage victory, a landmark achievement in their remarkable rise over the past decade.

Having already held Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham to draws, the Norwegian champions once again proved they belong on Europe’s biggest stage.

For City, the defeat compounds an increasingly worrying run of form. Guardiola’s side are winless in four Premier League matches and sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal, raising fresh questions about their consistency and hunger this season.

City will now look to regroup ahead of their final group-stage fixture at home to Galatasaray on January 28, where they must secure a strong result to maintain hopes of automatic qualification for the knockout stages.