Inter Milan vs. Bodo/Glimt – News and Probable Lineups

After a disappointing two-goal deficit from their first match in Norway, Inter Milan faces the challenge of mounting a significant comeback against Bodo/Glimt when the second leg of their Champions League playoff takes place on home soil.

As they gear up for a showdown on Tuesday evening at San Siro, Bodo secured a 3-1 victory over Inter last week, making a substantial move towards progressing into the round of 16, where they may encounter either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon.

Match overview

During their visit to Aspmyra Stadion for the initial leg, the three-time European champions Inter fell to a lackluster defeat, unable to adapt to the artificial turf, freezing conditions, and a more coordinated home side.

The Nerazzurri also reached the Champions League final twice in the past three years, while Bodo/Glimt made their debut in the knockout stages, with Sondre Fet connecting to complete a 16-pass sequence to put the hosts ahead justifiably.

Even though Françasco Pio Esposito quickly equalized for the visitors, second-half goals from Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Hogh restored Bodo’s control over the fixture, ending Inter’s impressive away performance streak.

The Nerazzurri qualified for the playoffs following a tumultuous league phase, where they began with four consecutive victories, conceding only one goal, before experiencing three straight losses.

Thus, rookie coach Cristian Chivu – a treble winner in 2010 with the club – has faced some criticism, especially after he opted to rest key players for the trip to northern Norway.

In recent seasons, Inter has been formidable in two-legged encounters: apart from finals, they have achieved 10 victories and suffered only two defeats in their last 16 Champions League knockout games.

However, the challenge ahead of Tuesday’s return is significant, as they have only managed to win by two goals in six of their 52 knockout matches; they have never succeeded in winning by three goals in the latter stages.

In fact, the last side to progress after suffering a two-goal away defeat in the first leg was Liverpool in 2019, memorably overturning a deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals; since then, 11 teams have found themselves in a similar situation but failed to advance.

Facing the prospect of an early exit from Europe, Inter at least seems poised to reclaim the Scudetto, having secured seven consecutive victories in Serie A.

The latest of these was a 2-0 win at Lecce on Saturday, with late goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji lifting Chivu’s men to a temporary 10-point lead at the top.

For Bodo/Glimt, their debut in the Champions League proper looked like it might end prematurely during the league phase, but the competition’s most northern club managed to secure advancement with a stunning finale.

After failing to secure a win in their first six matches, they turned the tide with two victories – 3-1 at home against Manchester City and a 2-1 away win against Atletico Madrid – allowing them to clinch the second-to-last qualifying position on a frantic final day.

With another stunning upset on their home ground, they have become the first Norwegian side to achieve three consecutive wins in Europe’s elite competition.

More notably, Bodo may become the first Eliteserien team since 1987, when Lillestrom advanced from the first round, to progress from a knockout tie.

Recently dethroned as national champions, Kjetil Knutsen’s squad has been in winter hibernation aside from their recent Champions League triumphs, suggesting they will be well-rested for their journey to Lombardy.

Since being appointed head coach in 2018, Knutsen has guided his team to four domestic titles, along with remarkable victories over Celtic, Porto, Lazio, and Roma in past continental tournaments.

Last year, they even reached the Europa League semi-finals, only bowing out to eventual champions Tottenham Hotspur, and Glimt has triumphed in six of their last eight two-legged European ties.

Much has changed since Inter secured a 7-1 aggregate win over Bodo in the 1978-79 Cup Winners’ Cup, when the Italian giants claimed a comfortable 5-0 victory in Milan.

Team News

With Inter captain Lautaro Martinez having suffered a calf strain during the match in Norway, he will miss at least a month, prompting Chivu to select two players from Esposito, Marcus Thuram, and Ange-Yoan Bonny to lead the forward line.

Last season’s Serie A Capocannoniere, Martinez has found the net 25 times in his Champions League career, so his absence will be deeply felt.

Despite the loss of their top scorer, the hosts have just welcomed Denzel Dumfries back from a long absence, and key midfielders Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu are also set to return after serving bans in Serie A last Saturday.

Bodo/Glimt have their own effective attacking options, with Hogh scoring four times in his last three Champions League fixtures, while former AC Milan player Hauge has netted five goals so far this campaign.

The latter, set to return to San Siro, was also the only player to create over 20 chances and complete 20 or more dribbles during the league phase.

Ulrik Saltnes returned to the bench last week, giving Knutsen a full squad to select from: the ever-present trio of Odin Bjortuft, Patrick Berg, and Fredrik Sjovold – all of whom have played every minute in this European campaign – are expected to start once again.

Inter Milan probable starting XI:

Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito

Bodo/Glimt probable starting XI:

Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

With a strong reputation at San Siro, Inter tends to score freely on home turf, enabling them to get back into the match after a lackluster performance in the first leg.

Bodo possess enough firepower to find the net at least once, but this tie may lead to extra time, and possibly a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.