FC Porto began their Europa League campaign with defeat in Norway as Bodo/Glimt came from a goal down to beat the Portuguese team 3-2, despite playing the last 40 minutes with ten men.
Samu Omorodion scored early on to give Porto the lead but the Dragons found it difficult stopping the home team’s fast attacking transitions all night. Kasper Hogh and Jens Hauge both scored on the break to turn it around for Bodo/Glimt before half time.
Porto were given hope when Isak Maatta was sent off for picking up a second yellow at the start of the second half, but the visitors were undone again on the break with Hauge netting his second goal and Bodo’s third.
Porto poured forward to try and get back into the game but Deniz Gül’s late goal was too little too late.
Surprise omissions in the line-up
Porto coach Vítor Bruno made three changes in relation to the impressive win at Vitória on Saturday, with Marko Grujic, Gonçalo Borges and Iván Jaime coming into the team in place of Alan Varela, Wenderson Galeno and Pepê.
Both teams tested the opposition goalkeeper within three minutes of kickoff, setting the tone for an open and attacking first phase of the match. Jaime tried his luck from range but Haikin was untroubled by his shot, while at the other end Diogo Costa was given a sterner examination of his ability, saving well from Maatta’s rasping shot.
The Bodo/Glimt chance had come from a rapid counter-attack which Porto were powerless to stop, which would become a feature of the match. The hosts threatened again in the 5th minute, Kasper Hogh heading narrowly over.
Samu on the mark again
But Porto provided the perfect response as the chances kept coming. Gonçalo Borges swung over a long looping cross from the right flank which marauding left-back Francisco Moura volleyed back across goal first-time where the waiting Samu dived to head into the net.
The goal settled Porto who enjoyed a strong spell of pressure, Samu just failing to wrap his foot round the ball from a tight angle when sent through by Estáquio, then Borges firing wide.
But Bodo/Glimt were soon level, a fast break and a cross-field pass over the defence by Jens Hauge slicing Porto wide open, with Kasper Hogh producing an assured finish past the exposed Diogo Costa.
Porto gave the hosts a taste of their own medicine when a well worked counter-attack provided João Mário with a chance to retake the lead but the right-back lacked composure and blazed the ball over the bar.
Slick Bodo/Glimt
But it was the Norwegians who were looking the more threatening side, Diogo Costa saving well from Ulrik Saltnes. Patrick Berg was the next player to be denied by the Portugal goalkeeper, but a goal was coming from the hosts.
It duly arrived in the 40th minute when another fast transition was too slick for Porto, Hauge finishing a fine move neatly from the edge of the area.
Samu then forced Haikin into a sharp save as an exciting first half came to a close.
Maatta takes a dive
Porto received an unexpected boost at the start of the second half as Isak Maatta, already on a yellow card, enacted a ridiculous dive in the box. Instead of fooling the referee he was promptly shown a second yellow and subsequent red card.
The numerical advantage gave Porto the upper hand, but the Dragons continued to find it difficult to fashion chances against a well-marshalled home team. Vítor Bruno sought to shake things up from the bench, bringing on Pepê and Galeno for Borges and Eustáquio.
Just when an avalanche of Porto attacks was expected, Bodo/Glimt produced yet another lethal counter-attack. Hogh played in Hauge who skipped past Zé Pedro with ease and curled a lovely finish past Costa into the net.
Impressive Hauge
Two fine goals and a quality assist by Hauge and it is easy to see why he has played for clubs like AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt previously.
Galeno fired one of his trademark curling efforts narrowly wide before Vítor Bruno went for broke by bringing on 17-year-old Rodrigo Mora and new Swedish striker Deniz Gül, both players making their debuts for Porto.
Porto were now camped around the edge of the Bodo/Glimt box but could find no way through. And the hosts almost increased their lead when the irrepressible Hauge again left Zé Pedro in the dust, dinked the ball over Diogo Costa, but Nehuén Pérez was on hand to hack the ball off the goal-line.
Gül goal
Play again switched to the other end of the pitch. Nico González, Pepê and Gül were denied by Haikin before the Blue and Whites were given hope of earning a point when Gül smashed in a loose ball after a goalmouth scramble in the 90th minute, and the officials signalled a minimum of five minutes of stoppage time would be allocated.
The home team held on for what was an ultimately deserved victory. Porto have ambitions in this competition which they have won twice before, but they will need to improve in their remaining seven matches of the new league format to make progress.
Analysis - Porto overconfidence punished by impressive Bodo/Glimt
Vítor Bruno came into the match riding the crest of a wave having led Porto to 6 victories in 7 matches in 2024/25, the latest of which a hugely impressive 3-0 win away at high-flying Vitória on Saturday to confound expectations of a season of struggle as the Dragons rebuild from top to bottom.
However, benching Porto’s two best players this season, Varela and Galeno, smacked of overconfidence and Varela especially was missed as Bodo/Glimt waltzed through Porto’s midfield time and time again with simple, direct, attacking football.
This was without doubt Porto’s poorest performance of the season with several individuals on the fringes of the team doing themselves no favours as regards convincing Bruno or the fans they are deserving of more playing time. Marko Grujic and Zé Pedro had a forgettable night, Gonçalo Borges was largely ineffective while Iván Jaime’s lackadaisical attitude perhaps spoke to why his relationship with previous coach Sérgio Conceição broke down.
That said, Bodo/Glimt deserve credit for their enterprising display full of verve and courage. The Norwegians have achieved some notable results in Europe in recent years, and the artificial pitch, although an advantage, does not fully explain their tremendous home record in UEFA competitions. The club are a fine example of how good organisation, hard work and talent can help mitigate the gap between the rich and the poor in the football landscape.
By Tom Kundert
FC Porto: Diogo Costa, João Mário, Zé Pedro, Nehuén Pérez, Francisco Moura (André Franco, 80’), Marko Grujic (Rodrigo Mora, 69’), Stephen Eustáquio (Wenderson Galeno, 61’), Nico González, Gonçalo Borges (Pepê, 61’), Samu Aghehowa, Iván Jaime (Deniz Gül, 69’)
Goals:
[0-1] Samu Omorodion, 8’
[1-1] Kasper Hogh, 15’
[2-1] Jens Hauge, 40’
[3-1] Jens Hauge, 62’
[3-2] Deniz Gül, 90’
