Bodø/Glimt stuns Dortmund 1-0 in Champions League; Kovač blames lack of intensity

Borussia Dortmund suffered a 1-0 defeat to Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League on 14 October 2026, with defender Fredrik Sjøvold scoring the decisive goal in the 52nd minute at Aspmyra Stadium. The goal came after Sjøvold received a low cross from the right wing by Sondre Auklend and finished into the bottom corner.

Dortmund, ranked second in the German Bundesliga, dominated possession and created multiple chances after falling behind, but failed to equalise. The visitors attempted to apply pressure throughout the second half following manager Niko Kovač's four-player substitution, with forward Serhou Guirassy denied by a block and midfielder Nmecha turned away by goalkeeper Nikita Haikin on multiple occasions. However, the hosts' goalkeeper Haikin made several key saves to preserve the clean sheet.

Kovač acknowledged his team's poor performance, stating they "deserved to lose" and attributing the loss to a lack of passion and intensity, particularly in the first half. "We basically weren't in the game until after conceding," he told DAZN. "In the first half, we didn't play with the passion, intensity or football that we need in order to win." He accepted responsibility for his rotation strategy, which included bringing in midfielder Inácio to the starting eleven despite limited recent playing time, and noted that while individual players possessed quality, the collective approach failed to deliver.

Defender Waldemar Anton echoed the criticism, telling DAZN that Dortmund were "always a step too late" and lacked aggression throughout the opening period. He dismissed suggestions that Aspmyra Stadium's artificial pitch or northern location affected performance, saying "those are not excuses." However, Anton acknowledged that Dortmund improved markedly in the second half after conceding, though he emphasised the importance of converting the clear chances they created, particularly in away Champions League matches.

Bodø/Glimt's victory came after their 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the first matchday, marking a strong home result against one of Europe's traditional elite clubs. Both teams entered matchday three with three points from their opening two games. Dortmund's defeat extended their record to four consecutive away losses in the Champions League. The loss places added pressure on Dortmund ahead of their next fixture against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday.