Bodo/Glimt Stun Manchester City With Historic Champions League Win

On a frigid night in Norway, history was made as Bodo/Glimt stunned European heavyweights Manchester City with a 3-1 victory at Aspmyra Stadion, notching their first ever win in the UEFA Champions League. The roar of the 12,000 home fans echoed through the Arctic air, as the Norwegian side delivered a performance for the ages—one that will be celebrated in Bodø for years to come.

Entering the match on January 20, 2026, the stakes could hardly have been higher. Bodo/Glimt, languishing near the bottom of the group standings and yet to taste victory in their debut Champions League campaign, needed an upset of epic proportions to keep their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, Manchester City, already certain to advance but desperate to lock down a top-eight finish and avoid the playoffs, arrived in Norway facing an injury crisis that left manager Pep Guardiola with a threadbare squad.

With as many as 14 City players unavailable—including defensive stalwarts Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones, along with midfielders Mateus Nunes, Savinho, and Nico Gonzalez—Guardiola’s options were severely limited. January signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi weren’t registered for the competition, while Phil Foden struggled with a hand injury and Omar Marmoush was fatigued from international duty. Bernardo Silva was sidelined by suspension. Yet, despite these setbacks, City fans expected their side’s quality to shine through, especially with Erling Haaland returning to his native Norway and hungry to make an impact.

But from the opening whistle, it was clear Bodo/Glimt hadn’t read the script. The hosts, marshaled by coach Kjetil Knutsen, executed their game plan with near-flawless precision, defending in numbers and springing forward with lightning-fast counter-attacks. City’s patched-up defense looked rattled from the outset, and it didn’t take long for the home side to capitalize.

In a stunning three-minute spell early in the first half, Kasper Høgh twice found the net, sending the stadium into delirium. The first came after a slick move down the right, with Høgh slotting home past a helpless Donnarumma. Moments later, he doubled the lead, finishing off another incisive break as City’s defenders struggled to keep pace. The visitors, shell-shocked and uncharacteristically sloppy, were suddenly staring down the barrel of a major humiliation.

City did their best to respond, with Rayan Cherki, Haaland, and young midfielder Nico O’Reilly probing for a breakthrough. But Bodo/Glimt’s defense, led by the resolute Jostein Gundersen and fullback Fredrik Bjorkan, held firm. Haaland, desperate to score on home soil, saw his best effort fizz narrowly wide, his frustration visible as he urged his teammates forward.

As the second half began, the narrative only grew more dramatic. Bodo/Glimt continued to threaten, rattling the crossbar and having two more goals ruled out for tight offsides. Their relentless pressing and direct play repeatedly exposed City’s makeshift backline, with Max Alleyne and Rayan Ait-Nouri both culpable in the build-up to Bodo/Glimt’s attacks.

Then came the moment that sealed the match’s place in Champions League folklore. Jens Petter Hauge, later named man of the match by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group, picked up the ball on the edge of the area after a City mistake, weaved past several defenders, and unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner. The stadium erupted. "He scored the best goal of the game, with his workrate and defensive contributions throughout the match making him the perfect choice," noted the UEFA observer.

City’s efforts to claw back into the contest were hampered further when Rodri, their midfield anchor, saw red after picking up two yellow cards in under a minute. The Spanish international could have no complaints, and his dismissal left City down to ten men for the closing stages. Still, Rayan Cherki managed to pull one back with a low, deflected shot from outside the area, offering a glimmer of hope. But Bodo/Glimt’s discipline and energy saw them through, and they could even have added to their tally, hitting the woodwork again and forcing Donnarumma into several saves.

After the final whistle, the home players and fans joined in jubilant celebration, savoring a night that few would have thought possible at the start of the group stage. The victory lifted Bodo/Glimt up to 26th in the standings—still two places outside the knockout qualification spots, but suddenly back in the race heading into the final round.

For Manchester City, the defeat was a bitter blow, putting their top-eight ambitions in jeopardy and extending a poor run of results stretching back to 2025. Pep Guardiola, visibly frustrated, reflected on the team’s struggles. "We have to come back—the results since 2025 is not good, in terms of the Premier League and now today," he admitted. "But we go forward, Wolves and then Galatasaray. We have the feeling everything is going wrong, the details, but we have to try and change that. I don’t have any doubts in this competition, nothing is taken for granted that is for sure. [Manchester] United beat us and were better. Today [Bodo/Glimt] had momentum. But the team was there and we created—on the transition they are really good."

Defender Rayan Ait-Nouri echoed the sense of frustration, telling City’s media team, "It was a tough game. Bodo made a good game. We tried to push them in the first half. We tried to score. We made some mistakes and they scored two goals. We need to be ready for the next game because we have one more game against Galatasaray at home and we have a big game against Wolves on Saturday and we have to give our best next week."

For Bodo/Glimt, the achievement cannot be overstated. Not only did they defeat one of Europe’s most formidable sides, but they did so in style—outplaying City, defending bravely, and attacking with purpose. Their fans will remember this night for generations, and with one match left in the group stage, hope springs eternal for a fairytale run to the knockout rounds.

As for Manchester City, all eyes now turn to their home clash with Galatasaray and a pivotal Premier League meeting with Wolves. With qualification on the line and confidence shaken, Guardiola’s men will need to regroup quickly. But for now, the spotlight belongs to Bodo/Glimt—a club that dared to dream, and on this unforgettable night, made those dreams a reality.