Despite losing in Naples on Tuesday evening, Bodø/Glimt retained their proud status of being the neutral’s favourite after playing their part in a seven-goal thriller.

Twice the Norwegians went behind to Napoli in their Champions League clash, and twice they drew level. Even in the second period, when the hosts’ superiority began to tell and they pulled two goals clear, the game’s underdogs contrived a third, maintaining jeopardy to the end.

It was the kind of resilient and exhilarating display that brought to mind their heroics last season on the continent, upending the odds several times over to reach the Round of 16. For the endeavour and enterprise they showed then, Bodø/Glimt are justly in the mix at the Ballon d’Or gala, held in London next Monday, nominated for Men’s Club of the Year.

To recap, few expected a club located 50 miles north of the Arctic Circle, with a stadium that holds a little over 8,000 spectators, to pull up many trees in the competition in 2025/26, after qualifying for the first time in their history.

An opening day 2-2 draw attained away to Slavia Prague raised a couple of eyebrows while the same result achieved against Tottenham brought wider attention.

Granted, three defeats followed but the manner of the third – a 2-3 loss to Juventus that required the Old Lady to grab a last-gasp winner – proved beyond doubt that the Superlaget could hold their own at this elite level.

Moreover, they were a thoroughly entertaining watch.

What came next, however, amazed.

Against the odds

First, Borussia Dortmund were held 2-2 in Germany, Die Borussen twice seeing leads cancelled out. Then Manchester City were emphatically bested in Scandinavia, the 3-1 scoreline if anything flattering the visitors.

By the time, Bodø/Glimt triumphed away to Atletico Madrid, to guarantee progress from the League Phase, it was becoming almost the norm for the Norwegian underdogs to out-play, out-run, and out-imagine supposed betters.

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Still, with that in mind, their brace of victories over Inter Milan in the subsequent play-off was a remarkable sight and a remarkable feat.

Nine months on from their Round of 16 exit at the hands of Sporting CP, the giant-killers have been at it again, dispensing with Borussia Dortmund in Bodø earlier this month, and now forcing Napoli – two-time Serie A champions in recent seasons – to their extremes.

Who knows if further heroics await across their concluding five fixtures in the League Phase. All that can said for certain is that a small club from the northernmost past of the continent have been a major plus for the Champions League via their spirit and their adventure.