BODO, Norway: After a Cinderella run to the semifinals of last year’s Europa League, many in Norwegian football thought that might be as good as it got for Bodo/Glimt, but the team from inside the Arctic Circle proved their doubters wrong with a stunning 3-1 Champions League win over Manchester City on Tuesday.
At home in the Aspmyra Stadium, Bodo coach Kjetil Knutsen got his tactics spot on and his players delivered on the plan as they suckered City into conceding three times on the break.
“Defensively they are incredible — the same manager for the last six, seven years, the same players, and that gives consistency in what they have to do, so full respect,” City coach Pep Guardiola told reporters after a humiliating reverse.
“I know that the people can be different, but last season they reached the semifinals of the Europa League, that means they’re a top, top team, great.”
The 55-year-old Spaniard emphasized that he did not underestimate the Norwegians, but he did leave experienced players on the bench as he started a relatively young team, and his decision to gamble on a high defensive line proved a losing one as Bodo hit them three times on the counter-attack.
“They close (down) incredibly inside, you have to go outside and outside, and we don’t have players to make a one against one, or make a movement in behind, and that’s why we struggled a little bit,” Guardiola explained.
“But in general, as a traditional team, like most of the teams in Northern Europe, they are really good, so congratulate them. We cannot say anything else.”
Down 3-0, City pulled a goal back through Rayan Cherki only for captain Rodri to be sent off for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession, abruptly killing off any chance of a comeback.
“It’s a little bit soft, the second one (yellow card), but it is what it is. But yeah, at that moment (when we make it) 3-1 ... everything is a little bit against us.”
Pep praises Bodo/Glimt grit as Manchester City slump to defeat
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Pep praises Bodo/Glimt grit as Manchester City slump to defeat
- “Defensively they are incredible — the same manager for the last six, seven years, the same players, and that gives consistency in what they have to do, so full respect,” Guardiola said
- “They close (down) incredibly inside, you have to go outside and outside”
Kane helps Bayern past Leipzig into German Cup semis
- Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored a penalty and Luis Diaz struck again as Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup semifinals for the first time since 2020.
Already on the wrong side of two Bayern thumpings this season, Leipzig were much improved but the hosts grabbed hold of the match with two goals in four second-half minutes.
Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition.
Kane’s penalty was his 39th goal in all competitions for Bayern this season, while Diaz’s goal was his fifth in his past three matches.
Winners of this competition a record 20 times, 14 more than any other club, Bayern had failed to make it past the quarter-finals since 2020, when they beat Leverkusen in the final.
Leipzig had won two of the past four German Cups but Bayern had form over the visitors this season, winning their two Bundesliga clashes by a combined score of 11-1.
Leipzig pressured the hosts early and were celebrating a goal after just four minutes, but an acrobatic Christoph Baumgartner strike was disallowed for a narrow offside.
Bayern immediately made the most of the let-off, Kane forcing a last-ditch clearance from Ridle Baku with the Leipzig goalkeeper laying on the turf.
The home side gradually wrestled control of the match and were unlucky not to take the lead with 57 minutes gone when Leipzig ‘keeper Maarten Vandevoordt denied Serge Gnabry with a stunning save.
Bayern were in front just five minutes later, Kane converting from the spot after Vandevoordt felled an advancing Josip Stanisic in the box.
Kane’s spot-kick, his fifth goal versus Leipzig this season, was his 12th penalty in all competitions this campaign.
Bayern’s goals this season have come in bursts and the Bavarians scored again just four minutes later, when Michael Olize found Diaz on the counter to help book a spot in the final four.
The German Cup final will be held at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 23.
