BODO/GLIMT eliminated last season’s finalists Inter Milan from the UEFA Champions League with a remarkable 2-1 win at the San Siro in their playoff second leg tonight that sent the Norwegian minnows through to the round of of 16, 5-2 on aggregate.
Under sustained pressure, the visitors struck in the 58th minute when Ole Didrik Blomberg seized on a loose pass on the edge of the Inter area and drove at goal.
Yann Sommer pushed his shot away but Jens Petter Hauge reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range.
Haakon Evjen put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd minute, guiding a precise right-footed effort into the far bottom corner.
Alessandro Bastoni pulled a goal back for Inter in the 77th minute, but it proved too late to alter their fate.
In Spain in the early kick-off, Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth scored a hat-trick, one of the goals assisted by Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman, as the Spanish side saw off Belgium’s Club Brugge on Tuesday to win the second leg of their Champions League playoff 4-1 and advance with a 7-4 aggregate triumph.
Johnny Cardoso scored the other goal for the home side while Joel Ordonez netted for Brugge, who were without the suspended Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika, in the 36th minute.
In England, Newcastle United took their place in the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time after beating Qarabag 3-2 at St. James’ Park for a 9-3 on aggregate win.
The outcome was never in doubt after Newcastle thrashed Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg of the playoff in Baku last week but expectations of a second goal rush proved short-lived after a promising start.
Newcastle were 2-0 up with the fans in full party mode after six minutes, the two goals coming in the space of 80 seconds from Sandro Tonali in the fourth minute and Joelinton on the volley in the sixth.
Unlike in Baku, where Newcastle were already 5-0 up at half-time, the Magpies then eased off and allowed Qarabag back into the match as the expected second leg thrashing failed to materialise.
Camilo Duran pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 50th but Newcastle responded instantly with a powerful header from Sven Botman scoring his first Champions League goal two minutes later.
The scoreline became 3-2 when Elvin Jafarguliyev scored with a left-footed shot after Aaron Ramsdale had saved a penalty from Marko Jankovic following a Dan Burn handball.
Newcastle will now play Barcelona or Chelsea in the knockout stages.
In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen endured late pressure but earned a 0-0 draw with visitors Olympiacos Piraeus on Tuesday to book their Champions League last-16 spot with a 2-0 aggregate win in their knockout playoff.
Leverkusen, who had won last week’s first leg in Greece 2-0 thanks to Patrik Schick’s double, will now face either German rivals Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the round of 16 next month.
The draw will take place on Friday.
With agency reports
UCL PLAY-OFF RESULTS:
Leverkusen 0-0 Olympiacos (Agg: 2-0)
Inter 1-2 Bodo/Glimt (Agg: 2-5)
Newcastle 3-2 Qarabag (Agg: 9-3)
Atletico Madrid 4-1 Club Brugge (Agg. 7-4)
