STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Another stellar display on their artificial home turf at the Aspmyra Stadium gave Norway’s Bodo/Glimt a 3-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday.
The Portuguese side joined the long list of big-name European clubs that have made the journey to the little fishing town inside the Arctic Circle and came away empty-handed as Bodo romped to an easy victory on the night that puts them in the driving seat for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Luis Suarez blazed an early chance over the bar for the visitors but after that their hosts took over, and they went ahead just after the half-hour mark after Giorgos Vagiannidis bundled over Sondre Brunstad Fet in the box.
After a VAR check, the midfielder confidently stroked home the penalty he had won to give his side the lead.
The hosts were 2-0 up by the break, and though there was a slice of luck involved as Jens Petter Hauge’s through ball deflected into the path of Ole Didrik Blomberg, there was nothing lucky about his superb finish from a tight angle to double his side’s advantage.
The Portuguese side showed a glimmer of attacking intent to start the second half but it was quickly snuffed out.
Bodo should have gone three up in the 55th minute after the ball pinged around in the box before eventually going out of play, with defender Jostein Gundersen heading the resulting corner straight at the keeper.
In total control of the game, Bodo grabbed the third goal their efforts deserved when Danish striker Kasper Hogh rounded off another fairytale effort, stealing between two defenders to deftly steer Hauge’s low cross from the left into the net from close range in the 71st minute.
The 3-0 win, Bodo’s fifth straight victory in the competition, leaves Sporting Lisbon with a mountain to climb in the second leg, which will take place in Lisbon next Tuesday.
“It was fun to play again, a fantastic round of 16 game — we still have a long way to go, but the result is fantastic. It will be an exciting week now ... we are halfway there, we know that things can change quickly in football so we have to be at our best again on Tuesday,” winger Hauge told Norway’s TV2.
“They (Sporting) are a good team with many good players, but we are also a fantastic team, we have shown that many times now.”
