Sports
Bodo/Glimt 3 – 1 Man City
Manchester City were left stunned as their miserable 2026 continued after Bodo/Glimt produced a scintillating attacking performance to secure a shock 3-1 Champions League victory.
Pep Guardiola would have seen the trip to Norway as the perfect chance to respond following their defeat in the Manchester derby at the weekend, but City’s underwhelming run of form continued against Bodo/Glimt to leave their hopes of avoiding the Champions League play-off round in a precarious position.
The Norwegians, who secured a first win against English opposition in European competitions, cut through Man City’s makeshift defence with ease as Kasper Hogh scored twice (22 and 24) in just under two minutes, both after mistakes from defender Max Alleyne, to stun the Premier League side.
City, who were without 11 senior players through either illness, injury, suspension or ineligibility, saw their problems continue after the break as Jens Petter Hauge’s stunner extended the advantage for the hosts.
The manner in which Bodo repeatedly troubled City on the break was alarming as they threatened to add to their score. Hakon Evjen had a goal disallowed before Hogh was denied a hat-trick by the offside flag. Hauge also rattled the crossbar with another long-range effort as City looked wide open.
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is left staring at the ground after Bodo/Glimt extended their lead. (Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via AP)
Rayan Cherki did pull a goal back for City, but their problems went from bad to worse as captain for the night Rodri was sent off after picking up two bookings in just 53 seconds.
It proved to be a difficult night for City, who had already secured a spot in the knockout round play-offs, with the players looking dejected as the scoreline flattered them.
The defeat piled on the misery for City after their derby loss to Manchester United and it leaves their hopes of finishing in the top-eight of the league phase and avoiding a busy Ferbuary fixture schedule in the balance as they face a crunch clash against Galatasaray in their final match next week.
‘Defeat damaging for City’s confidence’
Tim Sherwood on Soccer Special:
“City are still in a good position in the Champions League league phase, but they have had a couple of opportunities now to put this to bed and be able to rest some players, not that they have too many to rest at the moment as they are struggling with a few injuries.
“But it has been a wonderful performance by Bodo/Glimt and it will go down in history as perhaps their best-ever performance.
“It was impossible to believe [Rodri’s red], he is an experienced player, someone we feel City cannot do without, he was average in the game, like many City players tonight, he has just come back from a cruciate, he is playing on astroturf, which is a strange decision to put him out there.
“And it looked like he was not happy and tried to get himself sent off – once he is on a yellow card, he knows full well that once he pulls the guy back, he is going to get another yellow. It was so soon after the first one, it was a horrendous decision from an experienced player and it gives the team absolutely zero chance after that to come back in this game in which they were struggling anyway.
“He will be suspended now for their next game and it has all gone wrong for City tonight, it really has, but they are still in a decent position to qualify automatically and I think they will still do it, but this is damaging for confidence.”
