Bodø/Glimt etched their name into the history books by becoming the first Norwegian club to reach a European semi-final, edging past SS Lazio 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg.
Despite suffering a 3-1 loss after extra time at the Stadio Olimpico, the Norwegians held their nerve when it mattered most.
Intent on defending their two-goal first-leg advantage with aggression rather than caution, Bodø sprang into action straight from kickoff.
Jens Petter Hauge slipped a pass to Hakon Evjen, whose early attempt tested Christos Mandas, though it posed little trouble for the Lazio shot-stopper.
But the hosts quickly found their rhythm, with Pedro drawing a save from Nikita Haikin at a tight angle before Lazio opened the scoring. Gustav Isaksen dazzled on the flank, cutting back a clever ball for Taty Castellanos, who produced a classy flick to halve the aggregate deficit.
The Italians ramped up the pressure as halftime approached. Mattia Zaccagni nearly equalized over the two legs, his header from Mario Gila’s delicate delivery grazing the top of the crossbar.
Bodø weren’t content to sit back and almost restored their cushion just before the break, Patrick Berg’s curling free-kick was destined for the top corner until Mandas tipped it over.
Lazio resumed control after the interval, continuing their relentless push. Zaccagni’s quickfire shot was well-handled by Haikin, who stood firm throughout.
Still aware that a single goal could swing the tie in their favour, Bodø came close around the 60-minute mark. Hauge found space in front of goal but saw his strike spectacularly tipped over by Mandas once again.
Haikin was equally heroic at the other end, pulling off three rapid saves to frustrate Pedro, Castellanos, and Zaccagni. The latter’s free-kick was also foiled in the dying minutes, but Haikin couldn’t prevent Lazio from sending the tie into extra time, as substitute Tijjani Noslin tapped in after a chaotic spell of head tennis in the box.
The turning point came in the 100th minute. Matteo Guendouzi floated a pinpoint chip into the area for Boulaye Dia, who nodded home to give Lazio the aggregate lead for the first time.
Bodø, however, were not finished. In a stunning twist, Andreas Helmersen rose to head the ball down and past Mandas, leveling the tie once more.
But the joy was short-lived, as Helmersen was dismissed moments later for a second yellow card, ruling him out of the shootout.
The penalty drama began with Hauge’s weak effort saved by Mandas, while Dia calmly sent Haikin the wrong way. Substitute Sondre Brunstad Fet mirrored that composure, but Loum Tchaouna’s attempt was stopped.
As Noslin missed his kick and Bodø converted their next two, the pressure fell on Berg, who could’ve sealed the victory.
To the disbelief of the traveling fans, he blazed over. Yet Castellanos failed to capitalize, missing as well, handing Bodø a historic 3-2 shootout win and a monumental European milestone.
