The big winners
• Jonas Gahr Støre, the prime minister of Norway and the recent recipient of a Nobel peace prize-related missive from Donald Trump, took in a Champions League match on Tuesday. Bodø/Glimt’s stadium is more than 700 miles from Oslo but the prime minister’s long journey proved well worth it. Bodø beating Manchester City 3-1, a first-ever win in the group stage, was Norway’s greatest club football triumph since Rosenborg beat – and knocked out – mighty Milan from the competition in December 1996.
This was no dogged, backs-against-the-walls affair. Manager Kjetil Knutsen’s team played fantastic, off-the-cuff football, full of energy in taking down Pep Guardiola’s stars. Jens Petter Hauge’s second goal, his team’s third, was a thing of beauty.
City being so careworn – they are the only Premier League outfit not in the group stage top eight – was a factor but Guardiola was happy to hand credit to the victors.
“The same manager for the past six, seven years, the same players, and that gives consistency in what they have to do, so full respect,” he said. Knutsen was a candidate for the Celtic job that went to Wilfried Nancy, a role now being looked after by Martin O’Neill on an interim basis after Nancy’s truncated tenure. That Celtic opportunity may come up again soon. City’s players, meanwhile, promised to refund fans who made the trip.
• After Internazionale were strong-armed by Arsenal to a 3-1 defeat in Italy, Inter coach Cristian Chivu hailed the team who top the table.
“We knew this was one of the best teams in Europe,” he said. “They’re first without losing. The depth is important. They have quality, pace, intensity, individual players. In my opinion, Arsenal with Bayern Munich are the two best teams for the moment.”
With a timely goal scored by Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus coming back to the boil with a double, the Gunners’ forwards found San Siro easier than they have the Premier League. Similar went for Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle, all of whom won handily this matchday but have been treading water domestically.
Despite Harry Kane missing a penalty, Bayern look set for second place in the table. It will take a huge goal difference swing on the final matchday next week to unseat Arsenal from top spot.
• The USMNT’s Weston McKennie has become Juventus’s talisman, scoring his team’s second as they beat Benfica 2-0, his third goal in his last three Champions League outings.
McKennie scored his third goal of 2026 as Juve clinched qualification for the knockouts. Using Jonathan David as a decoy, McKennie clattered home their second. Khéphren Thuram scored a similar opener, with David again involved. That left José Mourinho’s Benfica with only a slim chance of making the top 24 while Juventus, who face a huge game with Napoli this weekend, must beat Monaco for a chance of making the top eight.
McKennie, out of contract this summer, is likely to attract several takers. “We believe in the concept,” he said of Luciano Spalletti’s coaching, as he has slowly revived Juventus’s fortunes.
Spalletti was seen slapping Loïs Openda before sending him on as sub – not a pretty sight. “You have to wake up,” he was seen to say.
Player of the week
Jens Petter Hauge: The Bodø/Glimt winger’s return to his boyhood club in 2024, after spells at Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt and Gent, has helped make them one of European football’s wild cards. He clearly enjoys Premier League opposition, having scored twice against Tottenham. Much-scouted, linked with Manchester United in the past as well as Brentford more recently, being back home brings the best out of him.
They said it
“There’s two ways you can take it: you can cry about it and moan, or send a lawyer, or you can just roll with it and enjoy it. It was a bit of a joke back to the fans and the people who say whatever they want. I know the truth, I know what really goes on in my personal life, I know what I give to the game and the team. All the outside noise doesn’t really matter but it’s nice to have a bit of a joke.” – Jude Bellingham explains his celebratory mime after scoring in Real Madrid’s 6-1 defeat of Monaco. Spanish YouTubers have been wildly speculating on his refuelling habits.
The pundit’s chair
“I’m really pleased for him. It can’t be easy when you’re under that pressure. His tactics were spot on tonight. He deserves a lot of praise and credit. He needs to stop mentioning low blocks. Low blocks have been happening against Liverpool since I was playing. That’s just the way it is.”
After Arne Slot’s team won at Marseille, he got partial backing on TNT’s UK broadcast from club legend Steven Gerrard, subject of rumours – which he denied – that he may assume an interim role if Slot is removed.
Looking ahead
• Paris Saint-Germain needed the extra playoff round last season and ended up champions. Might history repeat itself? Defeat on Tuesday to Sporting Lisbon meant the holders’ top-eight position is in jeopardy. PSG must beat Newcastle next week, while Sporting travel to Athletic Bilbao. Inter, who visit Borussia Dortmund in the final round and are locked on 12 points with Juventus, will be among those hoping for a slip.
• Five teams enter the final round of matches on eight points, with Napoli, Copenhagen and Club Brugge outside the top 24. PSV, Athletic Bilbao and Olympiakos are within the cutoff. Napoli, who have continued Antonio Conte’s poor record in the competition and kick off in 25th, host his former club, Chelsea. Olympiakos, in 24th, face Ajax, who beat Villarreal this week, a second successive win in Europe and some welcome relief from their domestic wobbles. On six points, Ajax have only an outside chance.
• Qarabag ended Eintracht Frankfurt’s hopes with Behlul Mustafazade scoring a 94th-minute winner in Baku that placed destiny and a knockout place within the hands of Gurban Gurbanov’s team. They can round off a historic campaign with a positive result at Anfield. A point will probably be enough.
