Napoli Beats Bodo Glimt 4-2 in Champions League Comeback

Napoli secured a 4-2 victory over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 20, 2026, in the third round of the Champions League league phase. Matteo Politano opened the scoring within the first minute, while Scott McTominay scored twice as Massimiliano Allegri's team recovered from two equalizers to claim the win. According to Corriere dello Sport's match coverage, Politano struck after just 54 seconds, setting a club record for Napoli's fastest Champions League goal.

His first-time volley surpassed Piotr Zielinski's previous mark, established against Feyenoord in 2017 when he scored after 1 minute and 35 seconds. Napoli dominated the opening stages and created several opportunities before Bodo/Glimt equalized through Jens Petter Hauge in the 27th minute. The Norwegian side capitalized on a promising attacking move, with Hauge beating goalkeeper Alex Meret to make it 1-1.

McTominay restored Napoli's lead in the 41st minute after receiving a pass from Kevin De Bruyne. His effort took a deflection before finding the net, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage at halftime.

Bodo/Glimt increased the pressure after the restart, forcing Meret into several important saves. Napoli nearly extended its lead when McTominay struck the post following another De Bruyne contribution, but the visitors continued to threaten. According to Corriere dello Sport, substitute-level changes were not the immediate solution to Napoli's difficulties as the visitors maintained their attacking momentum. Andreas Helmersen equalized in the 63rd minute with a powerful diagonal shot after finding space behind Napoli's defense.

McTominay answered in the 75th minute, rising above the defense to head home Politano's cross. The goal completed his brace and restored Napoli's advantage at 3-2, providing a decisive response to the visitors' sustained pressure. Napoli added a fourth goal in the 88th minute when Bodo/Glimt defender Odin Bjortuft scored an own goal, according to the match report. The final score was 4-2, giving Allegri's side a victory after a difficult period that included defeats against Venezia and Villarreal.

Before kickoff, Allegri had emphasized the importance of technical precision, patience and defensive organization. Speaking to Sky, he said Napoli needed to avoid mistakes and move the ball more quickly against opponents defending with a deep block. Allegri also explained that Frank Anguissa was starting despite not being ready to play a full 90 minutes following an injury.

He had selected Anguissa alongside De Bruyne in midfield, while Stanislav Lobotka and Billy Gilmour were available as alternatives. The coach acknowledged that Napoli were going through a difficult period but maintained that the squad retained its quality. He urged the players to remain composed, improve their passing and take control of decisive moments rather than allowing anxiety to produce further mistakes.

Politano's record-setting opener did not rank among the Champions League's 10 fastest goals, according to Fantacalcio. The report identified Conor Gallagher's goal after 27 seconds in the 2025 Atletico Madrid-Real Madrid knockout match as the competition's 10th-fastest, while Roy Makaay held the record with a goal after 10.12 seconds for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid.

Separately, ANSA reported that Roma defeated Bratislava 4-0 on the same matchday, alongside Napoli's 4-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt.