A battling performance saw us fightback to take a point on a difficult night against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday evening.
Making a return to the scene of our wonderful Europa League semi-final victory over the Norwegian champions just 144 days ago, this time it was Champions League points up for grabs at the Aspmyra Stadium, inside the Arctic Circle.
Back on the artificial surface, we really found life tough and saw the hosts miss a string of great chances in the first half, including a penalty, before they surged into a 2-0 lead through a Jens Petter Hauge double in the space of 13 minutes.
We’d had a goal disallowed at 1-0 but refused to be beaten and, for the third game in a row, fought back to draw the match. Micky van de Ven - captaining us on the night for the first time - headed us back into contention before a scrappy own goal from Jostein Gundersen with a minute remaining salvaged a point.
We made five changes from the weekend's draw with Wolves in the Premier League as Kevin Danso, Brennan Johnson, Pedro Porro, Wilson Odobert and Pape Matar Sarr came in, while Richarlison was making his 100th appearance in our colours. Only six of our starting line-up this evening began our semi-final clash here in May.
The home side had the first sight of goal with just four minutes gone, Patrick Berg firing in from 20 yards out which Guglielmo Vicario parried over the bar, while there was a chance at the other end shortly after, Lucas Bergvall with a teasing low cross to the back post but Richarlison was unable to sort out his feet and the goalkeeper gathered the ball.
As the half wore on, Bodo started to control the game and we were struggling to get anything going from an attacking perspective. Just before the half hour, Odin Bjortuft sent a towering header towards goal which Vicario was able to gather while we had a big let off in the 35th minute as the hosts missed a penalty. Rodrigo Bentancur gave away the spotkick, sliding in to block Fredrik Bjorkan’s cross but continuing the challenge after the ball had been delivered, taking out the player and prompting referee Ivan Kruzliak to point to the spot. VAR backed the decision and up stepped Kasper Hogh, only to scoop the ball so far over the bar it cleared the stand behind the goal as well.
Our hosts kept coming though and really should have been ahead by the break, only for Hauge to fire just wide from the edge of the box before another glorious chance was spurned, Sondre Brunstad Fet somehow putting his effort over the bar from six yards out after excellent build-up play down their right flank.
Just eight minutes into the second half, the deserved opening goal arrived for Bodo as they worked it down the left, Hauge picked it up and cut inside before curling into the far corner. However, it looked like we’d responded immediately when Bentancur flicked home Johnson’s shot after Porro had hit the post with a free-kick wide on the left. But, on closer inspection by VAR, van de Ven was adjudged to have committed a foul as Porro’s cross came in and it was ruled out.
Lifted by a let-off of their own, Bodo almost went close to a second only for Sondre Auklend’s shot to hit the back of Hakon Evjen when it looked like it was going to trouble Vicario. They didn’t have to wait long for their second though, Hauge with a lovely bit of skill to beat Porro before smashing into the far corner to double their lead in the 66th minute.
Once again we responded swiftly - and this one did count. Just two minutes later, Porro swung a wonderful cross into the box and van de Ven powered in a header from six yards out. That gave us a real boost and we started to enjoy a lot more of the ball in the Bodo half as we searched for the equaliser, so nearly grabbing it when substitute Mohammed Kudus delivered a cross and Odobert sent a header against the upright.
Bodo continued to be a threat at the other end though, Andreas Helmersen clipping the top of the crossbar from eight yards out with two minutes remaining before we did find that leveller 60 seconds later. Archie Gray found space down the inside right, his shot was saved by Nikita Haikin with the ball bouncing up, hitting Gundersen from close range and bobbling over the line. We had a long wait for VAR to confirm the goal due to a possible offside involving Richarlison but eventually it was given and we saw out the stoppage time to take what could be a valuable point back to London.