Inter slumps from Champions League finalist to playoffs exit on shocking loss to Bodø/Glimt

MILAN (AP) — What a difference a year makes. Or nine months to be precise.

Last season, Inter Milan reached the Champions League final and did so in style, with thrilling victories over Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

On Tuesday, the Italian giant limped out of the competition with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Bodø/Glimt — knocked out in the playoff round 5-2 on aggregate — in what is being labeled as one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history.

It wasn’t the first major upset the tiny Norwegian team has pulled off this season after wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid and a draw against Borussia Dortmund.

“We know there’s a lot of competitiveness in the Champions League. If teams get to this stage it means they have something,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said. “And they have proved that. They showed it against Dortmund, against Madrid, against City, against us twice.

“It’s a team which has energy. We could have done better in Norway, we could have done better today, too, but unfortunately it didn’t go how we wanted. We gave everything to try to advance, that’s football.”

The signs were there last season that not all was right at Inter. The club reached the Champions League final but was crushed 5-0 by Paris Saint Germain. It also lost to AC Milan in the Italian Cup semifinals and finished runner-up to Napoli in Serie A.

Coach Simone Inzaghi was replaced by Chivu, whose only previous senior managerial position had been a few months in charge at Parma.

The expected overhaul of an aging squad didn't happen, with Inter making no serious outlay in the transfer market as it brought only Ange-Yoan Bonny, Luis Henrique, Petar Sučić and Manuel Akanji.

This season, Inter is 10 points clear at the top of Serie A and appears to be closing in on the domestic title but it has struggled in the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri got off to a great start in the continental tournament, winning their first four matches, but then lost three on the bounce to finish the league phase in 10th, one point off automatic advancement to the round of 16.

“Bodo won both the matches, so they deserved to go through,” Inter midfielder Nicolò Barella said off the playoff defeat. “They didn’t put us in great difficulty today … the most difficult thing was to score and we couldn’t.

“Of course, there is disappointment because our desire is to fight on all fronts. We tried, they were better. With one more point we would have advanced and would have saved ourselves this playoff but this is the new Champions League.”

Inter needed at least two goals Tuesday to advance, having lost the first leg 3-1, and it pushed from the start. It had a number of chances but was prevented from scoring by some solid defending and great reflexes from Bodø/Glimt goalkeeper Nikita Haikin.

Indeed, most of the statistics barring the scoreline point to Inter dominating the contest. It had an 32 attempts compared with seven for its opponents and also completed 552 passes compared with 192.

“We have to give credit and congratulate our opponents because they did what they had to do and they did it very well,” Chivu said. “You know the level is high in the champions league and if you can’t be clinical and aware in front of goal, then opponents will punish you.”

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Bodø/Glimt's Odin Bjortuft, right, and goalkeeper Nikita Haikin celebrate after the Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodø/Glimt, Tuesday, Feb. 24 , 2026, in Milan, Italy (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, left, and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni react 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)

Inter Milan's head coach Cristian Chivu looks during the Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Bodø/Glimt, Tuesday, Feb. 24 , 2026, in Milan, Italy (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

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)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

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Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)