What a moment. What an evening. And what a Norwegian.
When Jens Petter Hauge scored to make it 2-2 against Borussia Dortmund in front of a packed Gelbe Wand, both the Glimt bench and the Norwegian section of the stands exploded. One of the most iconic moments in the club's European history was a fact.
TV 2's Espen Ween put the feeling into words when he shouted:
– In front of his own. What a moment!
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, however, was anything but enthusiastic. The Germans were temporarily one man down after Aarón Anselmino had to leave with an injury, and Kovač was furious when the referee did not allow the substitution before Hauge equalized. But his fury was of little use – Glimt held their ground and returned from Germany with a sensational 2–2 result.
From nightmare to magic
The build-up to the match was anything but ideal.
An outbreak of illness in the Glimt camp meant that several players had to sit out, and Fredrik Bjørkan threw in the towel just before the match started. Nevertheless, the northerners did not seem to be affected – they decided to give Dortmund a fight.
But the start was tough. Haitam Aleesami sent the ball straight to Fabio Silva, who found Julian Brandt alone with Nikita Haikin. 1–0 to the hosts – and Aleesami looked desperate.
But football is about getting up. On a precise cross from Patrick Berg, Aleesami headed in the equalizer himself just before half-time. A perfect way to respond.
Illness and willpower
The Glimt players arrived at Signal Iduna Park wearing face masks, and several admitted before the match that illness had ravaged the squad.
– It's no secret that we have a squad that has been struggling a bit. We just have to make the best of it, Odin Bjørtuft told TV 2 before kick-off.
Even captain Patrick Berg, who has been among the hardest hit, started and, as always, delivered everything.
Despite tired bodies and a nightmare start, Glimt clung to a single point in one of Europe's most feared arenas. That says everything about what this team is made of.
Hauge: – It can't get better
– I don't really know what happened, Hauge said after the game.
– The ball bounces a little in the middle, and suddenly I'm alone with the goalkeeper. It was incredibly nice to see the ball go into the goal and celebrate in front of this crowd. It couldn't be better.
He smiled broadly when asked about his experience in front of the yellow wall. And who could blame him? This was euphoria on German soil.
– It shows that we have something to do here. We have deserved more than three points in six games, but we can be proud of what we have delivered, Hauge said in conclusion.
Comment from 90minutefamily
Bodø/Glimt have done it again.
They are challenging giants, delivering performances that make Europe open its eyes – and showing that Norwegian football can actually compete at this level.
Illness, injuries and away game? No excuse.
They travel to Dortmund and get points. It's nothing short of impressive.
