Napoli 4-3 Bodø / Glimt: McTominay’s brace seals a breathless Champions League win

Match overview

Napoli edged Bodø / Glimt 4-3 in a remarkably open Champions League contest at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The hosts led at half-time, were pegged back early in the second half, then found the decisive moments through Scott McTominay before a late own goal appeared to put the result beyond doubt. Bodø / Glimt still had one final response in stoppage time, but Napoli saw out a one-goal victory.

It was a night of fine margins rather than territorial control. Bodø / Glimt had 57% possession, completed 601 of 657 passes and produced 95 attacks to Napoli’s 85. Napoli, though, made their own attacking spells count, recording 17 shots, eight on target and 16 key passes.

Fast start, then a first-half response

Napoli struck in the first minute. Matteo Politano finished with his left foot after Leonardo Spinazzola’s assist to give the home side an immediate lead.

Bodø / Glimt settled into the match and levelled on 27 minutes when Jens Petter Hauge scored with his right foot, assisted by Sondre Fet. The visitors’ greater share of the ball was reflected in their overall control of possession, but Napoli regained the advantage before the interval.

McTominay made it 2-1 in the 41st minute, converting a right-footed effort from Kevin De Bruyne’s assist. The scoreline at the break matched a competitive opening period in which both teams had already shown they could create clear openings.

McTominay delivers in the second half

The contest swung again on 62 minutes. Andreas Helmersen struck with his left foot from Fet’s assist to bring Bodø / Glimt level at 2-2. The visitors ended the match with five big chances created, compared with Napoli’s three, and registered 68 dangerous attacks to the home side’s 48.

Napoli nevertheless produced the pivotal response. In the 75th minute, McTominay headed in Politano’s assist to restore the lead at 3-2 and complete his brace. It was the midfielder’s second goal of the game, following his first-half finish, and he received a rating of 8.75.

The home side extended their advantage in the 88th minute when Odin Luras Bjortuft was credited with an own goal. That made it 4-2, but the match had one last twist: Fet headed in at 90+4, assisted by Bjortuft, to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

Numbers behind the result

Bodø / Glimt carried more of the ball and created more big chances, with five created and three missed. They also won five corners to Napoli’s two, completed seven successful dribbles to Napoli’s four, and had six shots on target.

Napoli’s numbers underline the effectiveness of their threat. They had eight shots on target from 17 attempts, compared with six from Bodø / Glimt’s 15. Napoli also won 40 duels to 29, made 10 successful tackles to four, and completed 23 successful long passes. Their three accurate crosses produced key contributions: Spinazzola assisted the opener, while Politano created McTominay’s headed winner.

The home team collected three yellow cards, shown to Frank Anguissa, Noa Lang and Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Bodø / Glimt finished without a booking.

Standout performers

Fet was named Player of the Match with a rating of 9.38 despite being on the losing side. He assisted Hauge’s first-half equaliser and Helmersen’s 62nd-minute goal, then scored the final goal himself in stoppage time.

For Napoli, McTominay’s two goals provided the decisive edge. Politano also made a major impact, scoring after one minute and assisting the 75th-minute header, while De Bruyne supplied the assist for McTominay’s first goal. Napoli leave with the win; Bodø / Glimt leave with a performance that pushed the hosts to the final whistle.