Under the lights of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli and Bodø/Glimt delivered a Champions League contest that had everything: a spectacular opening goal, repeated comebacks, defensive mistakes and a nerve-racking finish that kept the home crowd waiting until the final whistle.
When the drama finally ended on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Napoli had secured a 4–3 victory, their first three points of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign. But the scoreline told only part of the story. For long stretches, the Norwegian visitors looked capable of leaving Italy with a result of their own.
According to the official match report published by Napoli, the hosts led 2–1 at half-time before Bodø/Glimt twice fought back in the second half. Scott McTominay’s second goal and a late own goal ultimately proved decisive. Source: Napoli’s official match report.
A dream start for Napoli
Napoli needed a response. Their European campaign had begun with defeats against Arsenal and Villarreal, leaving them under pressure to collect points and restore confidence. A disappointing domestic defeat to Venezia had added to the concern surrounding the team.
They could hardly have asked for a better opening.
Barely a minute had passed when Leonardo Spinazzola advanced down the left and delivered a cross into the penalty area. Matteo Politano met it with a superb left-footed volley, sending the ball into the net after just 54 seconds.
The early goal lifted the atmosphere inside the stadium and gave Napoli the momentum they desperately needed. The home side continued to press, with Noa Lang, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Rasmus Højlund threatening to extend the advantage.
For a time, Bodø/Glimt struggled to contain Napoli’s movement and attacking combinations. Yet the visitors had travelled to Naples with their own ambitions, and their response demonstrated why they could not be dismissed.
Bodø/Glimt strike back
The equaliser arrived in the 27th minute following a well-constructed attacking move. Sondre Brunstad Fet supplied the pass, allowing Jens Petter Hauge to guide a right-footed finish into the far corner.
It was a significant moment. Napoli had dominated the early exchanges but had failed to turn their pressure into a commanding lead. Bodø/Glimt needed only a well-executed opportunity to bring the contest level.
The visitors grew in confidence and began to threaten more consistently. Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret was forced to remain alert as Bodø/Glimt searched for openings, while the home defence appeared increasingly uncomfortable whenever the Norwegians moved forward quickly.
Napoli, however, found a response of their own before the interval.
In the 41st minute, Kevin De Bruyne combined with McTominay in a quick attacking move. McTominay finished the sequence to restore Napoli’s lead, scoring his first goal of the season. A deflection helped the ball evade goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, but Napoli had regained the advantage at a crucial moment.
The teams went into half-time with Napoli leading 2–1. The hosts had the scoreline they wanted, but the match was far from settled.
McTominay becomes Napoli’s decisive figure
The second half brought more chances, more anxiety and another reminder that Napoli had not solved Bodø/Glimt’s attacking threat.
McTominay came close to scoring again when his effort struck the post following another combination with De Bruyne. Napoli had an opportunity to create breathing space, but the chance passed.
Bodø/Glimt made them pay.
In the 62nd minute, Fet again played a crucial role, finding Andreas Helmersen, who was given room to turn and fire past Meret. The score was 2–2, and the visitors had once more exposed Napoli’s defensive vulnerability.
The equaliser changed the atmosphere. Napoli could no longer rely on their early lead, while Bodø/Glimt had every reason to believe that a famous away victory was possible.
Meret subsequently produced an important save to deny Patrik Berg as the visitors continued to push. Napoli needed a moment of quality to regain control, and McTominay supplied it.
In the 75th minute, Politano delivered a cross from the right. McTominay rose at the far post and powered a header beyond Haikin, making it 3–2.
It was the Scottish midfielder’s second goal of the night and arguably the game’s most important contribution. After a difficult period for Napoli, his ability to arrive in the right position gave the hosts a third lead and renewed hope of finally securing their first European win.
A late twist before the final whistle
Napoli appeared to have settled the contest in the 88th minute, when pressure from substitute Giovane helped produce another goal. His ball across the penalty area was diverted into the net by Bodø/Glimt defender Odin Bjørtuft for an own goal.
At 4–2, the home crowd had reason to believe the danger had passed.
But Bodø/Glimt refused to disappear quietly. Deep into stoppage time, Fet found the net to make it 4–3, giving the visitors one final opportunity to rescue something from an extraordinary contest.
The late goal created a tense finish, but Napoli held on. The final whistle confirmed a victory that had been anything but comfortable.
The seven-goal encounter was a showcase of attacking quality, but it also exposed the defensive problems that both sides will need to address as the competition progresses.
More than three points for Napoli
For Napoli, the victory was about more than the result. It ended a difficult start to their Champions League campaign and offered a measure of relief after consecutive European defeats.
McTominay emerged as the central figure with his two goals, while Politano’s early strike and later assist proved equally important. De Bruyne’s contribution to the attacking play also helped Napoli create the decisive moments.
Yet the performance was not flawless. Conceding three goals at home, after twice surrendering an advantage, will concern the coaching staff. Napoli were capable of producing excellent attacking football, but they struggled to prevent Bodø/Glimt from creating dangerous opportunities.
The underlying numbers reinforce that mixed picture. Sofascore reported that Bodø/Glimt had 56.8 per cent possession and an expected-goals figure of 2.66, compared with Napoli’s 1.52. Napoli attempted 17 shots to the visitors’ 15, but the Norwegian side generated the greater expected-goal value. These figures suggest that the final score did not fully reflect how threatening the visitors were. Source: Sofascore’s match report.
For Bodø/Glimt, defeat will be frustrating because their performance showed that they could compete with a prominent Italian side on its own ground. Hauge and Helmersen provided the goals, while Fet’s two assists and late strike made him central to their attacking efforts.
Nevertheless, the visitors’ defensive lapses proved costly. Napoli repeatedly found ways through, and the own goal late in the match left Bodø/Glimt with too much to do in the closing seconds.
A warning and a promise
The result leaves both clubs with plenty to consider. Napoli can take confidence from their first Champions League victory of the campaign, but they must improve defensively if they hope to make further progress. Bodø/Glimt can draw encouragement from their ability to create chances against strong opposition, even as they reflect on missed opportunities and costly mistakes.
Ultimately, the night belonged to McTominay and Napoli. In a contest that swung repeatedly between hope and disappointment, the midfielder’s brace helped deliver the three points that the Italian side needed.
But the match also offered a reminder of the Champions League’s unpredictable character: an early goal does not guarantee control, possession does not guarantee victory, and even a two-goal lead can leave a team vulnerable until the very last kick.
Napoli survived the storm. Bodø/Glimt made them work for every moment of it. And the 4–3 scoreline ensured that this encounter would be remembered as one of the most dramatic matches of the opening phase of the 2026/27 campaign.
