Man City Champions League defeat as Bodo/Glimt shock Pep Guardiola’s side 3–1 in Norway, one of the biggest upsets in UCL history

Manchester City suffered a humiliating 3–1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night as the Norwegian champions delivered one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history.

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Pep Guardiola’s side were overwhelmed at the Aspmyra Stadion, conceding two first-half goals to Kasper Høgh before Jens Petter Hauge sealed the upset with a stunning second-half strike.

Playing in freezing conditions of minus two degrees north of the Arctic Circle, the 2023 European champions looked unprepared for Bodo/Glimt’s intensity and relentless pressing.

Bodo/Glimt took the lead in the 22nd minute after a defensive lapse allowed Ole Didrik Blomberg to cross unchallenged for Høgh, who headed through the legs of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Two minutes later, City’s problems deepened. Another breakdown in defensive organisation left Høgh unmarked once more, and the forward calmly finished to double the hosts’ advantage.

Manchester City struggled to respond. Erling Haaland endured another frustrating night, squandering two presentable chances before the interval as City laboured for cohesion.

The second half brought no respite. In the 58th minute, Rodri lost possession in midfield and Hauge punished the error with a powerful long-range strike into the top corner.

Rayan Cherki briefly reduced the deficit two minutes later with a composed finish from the edge of the area, offering faint hope of a comeback.

That hope was extinguished almost immediately when Rodri was sent off in the 62nd minute after receiving two yellow cards within 54 seconds, leaving City a man down and exposed.

Bodo/Glimt, backed by a home crowd drawn from a town of just 55,000 people, controlled the closing stages to secure their first-ever Champions League group-stage victory.

The result underlined the Norwegian club’s remarkable rise, following last season’s Europa League semi-final run and creditable draws earlier in the group against Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham.

For Guardiola, the Man City Champions League defeat compounded an increasingly troubled campaign.

City are winless in their last four Premier League matches and sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

The City manager, who had spoken of enjoying the Northern Lights during his stay, was left instead to reflect on one of the most chastening defeats of his decorated career.

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Manchester City will now look to recover when they host Galatasaray on January 28 in their final group-phase fixture, needing a result to secure an automatic place in the last 16.