Bodo/Glimt and Pafos every earned inconceivable attracts away from dwelling of their first Champions League matches on Wednesday.
Two of this 12 months’s European Cup debutants have been in motion on the similar time in Wednesday’s early video games, taking part in maybe two of their kinder fixtures, with Bodo visiting Slavia Prague as Pafos confronted Olympiacos.
Bodo have higher European pedigree than Pafos, having reached final season’s Europa League semi-finals, however their introduction to the Champions League threatened to be a brutal one.
Slavia left-back Youssoupha Mbodji scored in both half to offer the house facet a 2-0 lead, his second aim coming with simply 16 minutes to play.
However Bodo, who had earlier squandered a penalty as Kasper Hogh’s effort was saved, staged a exceptional restoration within the closing phases to attract 2-2.
Daniel Bassi rapidly pulled a aim again, earlier than fellow substitute Sondre Fet equalised within the last minute of regular time with an outrageous volley that crashed in off the crossbar.
Bodo needed to cling on by means of simply over 11 minutes of stoppage time, with goalkeeper Nikita Haikin in impressed type, however might have fun a well-known end result.
Slavia Prague 2-2 Bodø/Glimt
The Norwegian facet come again from 2-0 down within the last 12 minutes to safe their first ever Champions League level.
Sondre Fet’s Ninetieth-minute equaliser was a aim to look at again… pic.twitter.com/8APFAKtiGW
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 17, 2025
There was not the identical stage of drama in Greece however no much less significance as 10-man Pafos noticed out a goalless draw.
Bruno Felipe was despatched off for a second bookable offence with solely 25 minutes performed, leaving the Cypriot facet to play greater than an hour a person down.
It appeared Olympiacos would even be diminished to 10 males when Mehdi Taremi was proven a second-half pink card, however that call was overturned following a VAR evaluation, that means Pafos needed to do it the laborious means as they battled to a superb clear sheet and treasured level.
Knowledge debrief: A phrase of warning for 2 debutants
After all, Pafos, in contrast to Bodo, have been by no means behind, however theirs was additionally an uphill battle after the pink card.
Whereas Pafos turned the eleventh workforce to have a participant despatched off of their first Champions League match, Bruno Felipe’s dismissal was the earliest of any of these.
There shall be optimism then for future matches, however Slavia present proof that robust first outcomes can not all the time be constructed upon.
After collapsing towards Bodo, Slavia have nonetheless received solely certainly one of their 13 Champions League matches – that victory coming of their competitors bow in 2007.
