Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin produced penalty shootout heroics as Bodo/Glimt stunned Lazio in Rome to become the first Norwegian team ever to reach the semi-finals of a major European men’s club competition on Thursday night, April 17th. The victory sparked celebrations across Norway, particularly inside the Arctic Circle home of the Eliteserien champions.
Bodo/Glimt entered the Europa League quarter-final second leg at the Stadio Olimpico with a 2-0 lead but saw that advantage wiped out as Lazio forced extra time with a stoppage-time goal to make it 2-0 on the night. The Italian side then took a 3-0 lead in extra time, putting them ahead 3-2 on aggregate.
However, Bodo/Glimt substitute Andreas Helmersen headed home in the 109th minute to level the tie at 3-3 aggregate, forcing a penalty shootout (despite Helmersen himself being sent off minutes later for a second yellow card).
In the shootout, after misses from both sides, Bodo/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg had the chance to win it with the fifth kick but blazed his effort over the bar. Haikin then stepped up, diving to save Taty Castellanos’ penalty to secure a dramatic 3-2 shootout victory.
“It’s crazy! I didn’t think the game would go this far, but we couldn’t give up. We just had to keep going,” an emotional Haikin said afterwards. “I couldn’t be happier. This means a lot to all of Norway. For Bodø. For my family. It’s huge. A historic night.”
Coach Kjetil Knutsen praised his goalkeeper: “Nikita is decisive for us. He decided both the match and the penalty shoot-out.” Berg added: “Nikita is a fantastic penalty keeper. We knew that the chance was good if there was a penalty shoot-out.”
For Haikin, whose career has included spells at Chelsea’s academy and clubs in Spain, Russia, Israel, and England, it was a moment of immense personal triumph.
The scale of the achievement resonated across Norway, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre posting on X: “Reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League is huge – it shows what’s possible when you give everything for the shirt. A great night for the northerners and for all of Norwegian football in Rome.”
Bodo/Glimt’s reward is a semi-final clash against English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
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