Manchester City faced a shocking defeat in one of the most notable upsets in Champions League history, falling 3-1 to the modest Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday.
The evening took a turn for the worse for City when Rodri was sent off in the second half, capping off a dismal night for the heavily funded club in Bodø, a small fishing town with a population of about 55,000, situated north of the Arctic Circle and over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Oslo.
Kasper Høgh struck twice within two minutes, netting goals in the 22nd and 24th minutes, helping Bodø/Glimt—competing in the tournament for the first time—achieve their inaugural win in the competition.
The excitement among home supporters reached a high point when Jens Hauge curled a shot into the top corner in the 58th minute, putting Bodø ahead 3-0.
City managed to respond with a goal from Rayan Cherki
just two minutes later, but any chance of a comeback was undermined by Rodri’s ejection for receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.
This defeat added to City’s woes after their recent derby loss to Manchester United, leaving them to brace for a crucial match against Galatasaray in their next league phase encounter.
Despite potential excuses regarding the weather, a series of missing players, or the artificial pitch, City ultimately failed to match Bodø’s performance.
Erling Haaland, back in his home country, could not find his rhythm as Bodø celebrated a historic victory.
Martin Ole Wold/Getty Images
City lined up without 11 senior players due to illness, injury, suspension, or ineligibility. Yet, the repeated threats from Bodø on counterattacks highlighted significant concerns regarding City’s defense.
There was an early warning when Bodø’s swift forwards broke through the City defense—featuring the inexperienced duo of Abduokodir Khusanov and Alleyne—but were unable to convert it into goals.
City dominated possession, yet despite a flurry of corners, they failed to effectively challenge the Bodø goalkeeper, Nikita Haikin.
Alleyne missed a header from a corner, which was just the beginning of a challenging night for the young player as Bodø capitalized on two critical mistakes.
His first lapse came when he missed a tackle halfway through, enabling Bodø to counterattack. Ole Didrik Blomberg sprinted into the box and, after regaining his balance from a collision with Khusanov, sent a cross to the far post.
Høgh converted by heading the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma, adding a second goal less than two minutes later due to yet another error by Alleyne, who took too long with the ball, allowing Blomberg to assist Høgh for an easy tap-in.
Høgh nearly completed a hat trick shortly after but was denied by a save from Donnarumma.
City had their chances to equalize, with Rodri misfiring a header and Haaland shooting just wide. In the second half, Tijjani Reijnders had a shot saved early on, but Bodø retaliated with Hakon Evjen testing Donnarumma.
Rodri’s night turned disastrous when he lost possession leading up to Bodø’s third goal. Hauge charged forward and launched an impressive long-range shot into the top corner.
City responded quickly as O’Reilly intercepted the ball outside the Bodø penalty area, and Cherki scored with a deflected shot.
However, Rodri received two yellow cards in rapid succession—the second for pulling down Blomberg—and was sent off, compounding City’s troubles.
Bodø, sensing an opportunity for more, saw Hauge hit the crossbar, and Høgh had another attempt ruled out for offside.
City sought a penalty when Cherki was brought down in the box, but their pleas were ignored as Bodø celebrated a well-deserved victory.
This report includes contributions from The Associated Press and PA.