The short version
- Ajax and Bodø/Glimt played 2-2 in the Round of 16 in the Conference League on Thursday evening.
- Bodø/Glimt led 2-0, but two overtime goals ended the match equal.
- Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen believes one of the goals could have been avoided.
- Viaplay expert Pål André Helland points to weak goalkeeper play by Bodø/Glimt’s Kjetil Haug.
- Decisive match at Aspmyra in one week, the winner goes to the round of 16 in the Conference League.
Sea view
Bodø/Glimt went from a 2-0 lead to 2-2 during a hectic overtime drama in the round of 16 away to Ajax in the Conference League on Thursday evening.
– We have the ball down at the corner flag. Keep it at the corner flag, or play it to a yellow player, and we win 2–1, says coach Kjetil Knutsen to Viaplay.
The Glimt trainer explains to VG afterwards:
– We have to be honest about it. Being cynical and learning in Europe, we can do that. But new players are coming in. Typ Oscar (Kapskarmo), who played in the 2nd division in Norway last year, of course needs more time to understand what that means and how severely you are punished in Europe. It is one of many examples. I still feel that we dare to be ourselves in a tough arena, says Knutsen.
From the coach’s bench at the Amsterdam Arena, he saw that substitute Odin Bjørtuft was sent off when Ajax received a penalty which they later scored on. A few minutes later, the Dutch won a corner.
The ball was lifted into the field and in an attempt to box it away, goalkeeper Kjetil Haug hit the ball straight into the legs of Steven Berghuis who elegantly lobbed in 2-2:
– A weak involvement at a very crucial time, assesses Viaplay expert Pål André Helland to VG.
– I get a small finger on it and not enough to get it far enough away. Then there is a good ending, which is difficult to do anything about. On another day, you might box it longer or he shoots instead of chipping, explains Haug at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
– I don’t want to say it’s a goalkeeping mistake, insists Glimt’s new goalkeeper.
Graphics: www.sofascore.com
So there is excitement before the return match at Aspmyra in one week. The overall winner goes to the round of 16 in the Conference League.
– It’s a bit strange that you should be disappointed after 2-2 against Ajax, sums up two-goal scorer Albert Grønbæk to Viaplay.
– It’s an awkward way to end the game, because we play an incredibly good game until the penalty. It’s a shame that it ends the way it does, says Kjetil Haug.
– In the second half, we can press them even more, coach Kjetil Knutsen follows up.
The northerners went out on the offensive and got the first goal after a pattern attack after just over a quarter of an hour.
The ball started with the own keeper and included a nice flick from Grønbæk, who finished the whole thing himself and sent Glimt into the lead.
– It is a pattern attack. You really just have to sit down and watch from the best HaugKjetil Haug, Bodø/Glimt goalkeeper. initiates that attack, because it is simply propaganda football by Bodø/Glimt, Viaplay expert Pål André Helland said during the break about Glimt’s 1–0 goal:
– He shows great x-factor. His top level in the game is one of those that stand out the most, if you ask me, says Glimt coach Knutsen to the Norwegian press in Amsterdam.
– An achievement Johan CruijffNederland and Ajax’s greatest football legend of all time. Ajax’s home ground is named after him. would have been proud of, says TV 2 expert Yaw Amankwah to VG about Grønbæk.
Last winter, Bodø/Glimt said no to a bid of NOK 130 million for Grønbæk. The price of the Danish 22-year-old has now increased, states Amankwah:
– The format and quality he shows tonight probably weighs even more heavily than what he delivered in the Eliteserien last year. Not only a confirmation for the clubs that have already been interested, but an achievement that means that even more clubs sign up, which in turn can drive the price to new heights. 200 million if everything works out, I think.
Colleague Petter Bø Tosterud follows up:
– Albert Grønbæk is comically good. Absolutely sick that he is in Glimt, he writes X.
When asked what is the value of the Dane now, the former football agent makes a clear appeal to the big European club:
– It probably depends on the big clubs coming on board for the price to explode. Grønbæk has performed for a long time, and not least tonight, even out of season, says Bø Tosterud to VG.
The home supporters were clearly shaken by the shock. The whistle concert hailed as the players went into the dressing room before the break.
And five minutes before full time many had seen enough and left the stadium.
Some managed to turn around when Ajax were awarded a penalty kick in the 88th minute of the match. Substitute Odin Bjørtuft tore down power forward Brian Brobbey as the last man.
It resulted in a penalty kick and a red card. Branco van Boomen blew the penalty goal and thus also life in the match. In overtime, 2-2 came from ring fox Steven Berghuis.