Champions League playoffs: Bodø/Glimt pulls off stunning upset against Inter Milan

Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history by knocking out three-time winner Inter Milan on Tuesday.

The tiny Norwegian team won 2-1 at the San Siro to seal a 5-2 aggregate victory in the playoffs and secure its place in the round of 16 in spectacular fashion.

“Can you believe it?” coach Kjetil Knutsen said to TNT Sports. “A team from a small town up north. It's unbelievable.”

In its first season in European club soccer's top competition Bodø/Glimt has produced one shock after another following wins against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid at the end of the league phase. But victory over two legs against last year's Champions League finalist and current Serie A leader Inter was its biggest feat yet.

Second-half goals from Jens Petter Hauge and Hakon Evjen stunned the home fans in Milan and set Bodø/Glimt on course for a clash with City or Sporting Lisbon in the next round.

Alessandro Bastoni pulled a goal back for Inter, but by then the damage had already been done.

“We’re disappointed. We want to go as far as possible in every competition. We tried, but they were better than us,” Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella told Sky Sport.

Atletico beat Club Brugge 4-1 and completed a 7-4 aggregate win, Newcastle won 3-2 against Qarabag (9—3) and Bayer Leverkusen advanced 2-0 on aggregate against Olympiacos after 0-0 draw in the second leg.

To put Bodø/Glimt’s run into context: by the start of January it had yet to win its first game in the Champions League.

In a whirlwind few weeks it has taken down 2023 European champion City, Inter — a two-time runner up in the last three years — and Spanish giant Atletico.

According to stats firm Opta, a month ago Bodø/Glimt had a 0.3% chance of advancing to the round of 16 having picked up three points from six games in the league phase.

But those victories against City and Atletico have propelled its Champions League campaign and over two legs it was too good for an Inter team that tops the Italian league by 10 points.

“I can’t actually believe it,” Knutsen said. “The players are amazing. They take the steps, they believe, they’re working hard. ... I’m so proud.”

Defending a 3-1 first leg win, Bodø/Glimt soaked up pressure until a mistake from Manuel Akanji was seized on by Ole Didrik Blomberg in the 58th minute. His shot was saved by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but Hauge was there to convert the rebound.

Hauge now has six goals in this year's tournament.

Akanji hit the post as Inter tried to mount a fight back, but Evjen lashed in a second for the visitors in the 72nd to send around 3,000 traveling fans wild.

Bastoni's goal, which marginally crossed the line, never looked like being the start of a comeback for the Italians.

“We were unlucky. The ball simply didn’t want to go in. They did what they had to do, and all I can do is congratulate them,” Inter defender Yann Bisseck said.

While Bodø/Glimt is the surprise package of this year's Champions League, it has been making a name for itself in Europe in recent years.

Last season it advanced to the semifinals of the Europa League and previously reached the quarterfinals of the Conference League.

Prior to its recent run of upsets, it beat giants like Lazio, Porto and Roma in previous years, with its artificial playing field often proving a leveler against more famous opponents.

“It’s been quite a journey to get where we are now, and there are so many people who have been part of that journey together," Knutsen told TV2.

A hat trick by Alexander Sorloth helped Atletico Madrid finally shake off Club Brugge.

Diego Simeone's team won 4-1 in the second leg, but the wide margin on the night didn't tell the full story of Brugge's resilience over two games.

A 3-3 draw in Belgium last week had seen Brugge come back from two goals down and then level again in the 89th minute.

In the second leg in Madrid it fought back once more after Sorloth fired Atletico in front in the 23rd. Joel Ordonez leveled 13 minutes later.

Diego Simeone's team went 2-1 in the 48th minute on American midfielder Johnny Cardoso's first goal for Atletico, and Brugge's resolve was finally broken.

Sorloth completed his hat trick with goals in the 76th and 87th to secure Atletico's place in the next round.

Newcastle's place in the next round was effectively sealed with a 6-1 win against Qarabag in the first leg. And it was 2-0 up inside six minutes of the home leg after Sandro Tonali and Joelinton struck.

Qarabag made a fight of it in the second half. Camilo Duran pulled one back before Sven Botman made it 3-1.

Elvin Jafarguliyev reduced the deficit again for the Azerbaijani team.

Bayer Leverkusen eased through by drawing with Olympiakos 0-0 and safeguarding its two-goal advantage from the first leg.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram reacts during the Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodø/Glimt, Tuesday, Feb. 24 , 2026 ,in Milan, Italy (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Glimt's Hakon Evjen celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Champions League playoff soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodo Glimt, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb.24, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Glimt's Hakon Evjen celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Champions League playoff soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodo Glimt, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb.24, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram reacts during the Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodø/Glimt, Tuesday, Feb. 24 , 2026 ,in Milan, Italy (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Brugge's Joel Ordonez, background, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge, in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth, right, scored his side's third goal during the Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge, in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge, in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge, in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Bodø/Glimt's Sondre Brunstad Fet celebrates after scoring against Inter's Milan during a Champions League soccer match, Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, in Bodo, Norway. (Mats Torbergsen/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu addresses the media following a Champions League soccer match against Bodø/Glimt, Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, in Bodo, Norway. (Thomas Andersen/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Bodø/Glimt's Jens Petter Hauge (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Inter Milan during a Champions League soccer match, Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, in Bodo, Norway. (Thomas Andersen/NTB Scanpix via AP)

Bodø/Glimt's Jens Petter Hauge celebrates after scoring against Inter Milan during a Champions League soccer match, Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026, in Bodo, Norway. (Thomas Andersen/NTB Scanpix via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid on Thursday as he left a building in Berlin.

Pahlavi had just departed a news briefing, during which he criticized the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, when the incident occurred outside Germany’s federal news conference building.

He appeared unhurt by the liquid coating the back of his blazer and neck, and waved to his supporters before he got into a car that drove away. Police said the liquid appeared to be tomato juice.

The alleged perpetrator, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, was immediately detained by police.

Pahlavi, 65, is the son of Iran's former shah, who was so widely hated that millions took to the streets in 1979 to force him from power. Nevertheless, Pahlavi is trying to position himself as a player in his country’s future, though it's unclear how much support he has in Iran after he has been in exile for nearly 50 years.

Hundreds of his supporters demonstrated Thursday near Germany's parliament building, according to German news agency dpa.

Pahlavi, who was not invited to meet with any government representatives during his visit to Berlin, argued Thursday that the ceasefire agreement assumes the Iranian government’s behavior will change and “you’re going to deal with people who all of a sudden have become pragmatists.”

“I don’t see that happening,” he said. “I’m not saying that diplomacy should not be given a chance, but I think diplomacy has been given enough chance.”

Pahlavi is jockeying for a return to power should the Shiite theocracy fall and has supported the U.S.-Israeli military intervention in the Middle East.

Pahlavi in Berlin called on Europeans to do more to support Iranian people fighting for democracy. He claimed 19 political prisoners were executed by Iranian authorities in the past two weeks and another 20 people have been sentenced to death.

“Will the free world do something, or watch the slaughter in silence?” Pahlavi said.

Meanwhile, more than an hour after the incident, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz released a statement saying the government welcomes the extension of the ceasefire.

“This presents an important opportunity to resume diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad with the aim of making peace and averting further escalation of the war,” the statement said. “Tehran should seize this opportunity.”

Ciobanu reported from Warsaw, Poland.

Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, shout slogans outside the building where Pahlavi holds a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Iran's Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, is protected by security after he was attacked with a red fluid, following a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Iran's Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, waves to supporters after he was attacked with a red fluid following a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Iran's Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, is protected by security after he was attacked with a red fluid, following a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)