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Big surprise from Bodö/Glimt: Hauge and Högh give Inter a beating

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Big surprise from Bodö/Glimt: Hauge and Högh give Inter a beating

Norwegian surprise club Bodö/Glimt made a big statement at the start of these playoffs, defeating last year’s Champions League finalist Inter Milan 3-1 after a convincing performance.

With a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, Norwegian representatives Bodö/Glimt qualified for this year’s play-offs at the end of the league phase – and wanted to lay the foundation for another surprise in the first leg against clear favorites Inter Milan. And at first, it looked like it might happen for the Northern European club, which has been on the rise for years.

The Milanese, who are continuing their strong run under coach Cristian Chivu in his first year and recently cemented their position at the top of Serie A with a dramatic 3-2 win over Juventus in the Derby d’Italia, proved to be spoilsports from the very first minute. After a brief period of feeling each other out, the Nerazzurri applied pressure, pushed far forward and approached the opponent’s goal with early shots from Lautaro Martinez (5th minute) and Mkhitaryan (6th minute). However, little to nothing came of this, allowing a courageous Bodö to gradually gain the upper hand, generate possession and combine cleanly against the passive Northern Italians.

Fet ice-cold, Esposito from a turn

So clean, in fact, that they took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute: after some combination football in a tightly packed midfield, Högh was played in centrally in the Milan penalty area, before he brilliantly backheeled the ball to Fet, who was positioned behind him.
Fet was not offside, appeared unmarked in front of Sommer and slotted home with ease to make it 1-0, which was celebrated loudly. This goal certainly rattled the Lombards, who created little in the following period.
It wasn’t until the 26th minute that they were able to make their presence felt in front of the opponent’s goal again – with a volley against the post from veteran Darmian (26′), a too central attempt from Barella after a backheel from Lautaro Martinez (28′), and the subsequent equalizer from Pio Esposito. Lautaro’s partner on the night was lucky to find Carlos Augusto’s cross from outside the box, reacting quickly to make it 1-1 from close range (30′).

By half-time, the now dominant Serie A club could even have been 2-1 up, but Darmian, among others, failed to convert another direct shot thanks to a good save by Bodö’s goalkeeper Haikin (37′). In the same minute, a few seconds earlier, Berg also had a promising set piece that was too central and ended up in the hands of Sommer.

Högh turns it on and Inter goes down

Speaking of Sommer: After Inter came out strong right after the restart with a shot off the post by Lautaro Martinez (46′) and a powerful long-range shot by Carlos Augusto (48′), Bodö also made its presence felt again.
Högh’s dangerous attempt from a tight angle was denied by a great save from the former Munich and Gladbach player, who got his fingertips to the ball (49′).

And it was precisely after this chance by Högh that the whole picture changed. Whereas FC Internazionale had been dominant at times up to that point, the small Norwegian club now took control and dictated the game until the final whistle. This included a resounding success: in the 61st minute, former Frankfurt and Milan player Hauge thundered the ball into the left corner, leaving Inter keeper Sommer with no chance (61′), before Fet played a fine chip to Blomberg, who, with only the Milan keeper to beat, calmly laid the ball off to Högh to slot home (64′). The scorer of the 3-1 goal thus became the match winner, having previously set up Högh for the 1-0 and 2-1 goals.

The score remained 3-1 for the underdogs from Northern Europe because the Nerazzurri, even with substitutes such as Thuram and Bonny, could not come up with anything else. In fact, Bodø’s substitute Helmersen almost made it 4-1, but Sommer was there to save (81′). In short, the Norwegians pulled off a big surprise in this playoff first leg and go into the second leg at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium next Tuesday (9 p.m.) with a comfortable lead. Curiously, in addition to Inter, who are comfortably leading Serie A and have an away game in Lecce ahead of them before their reunion with Bodö (Saturday, 6 p.m.), Italy’s record champions Juventus were also given a big surprise at the start of these play-offs, losing 5-2 to Galatasaray.

Hoeneß calls for more clinical finishing and recalls an experience in Glasgow

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Hoeneß calls for more clinical finishing and recalls an experience in Glasgow

VfB Stuttgart didn’t have much to show for themselves away from home during the league phase. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß sees problems in converting chances and is now calling for more clinical finishing in Glasgow.

The Swabians came away empty-handed in Turkey against Fenerbahce Istanbul (0-1), in Switzerland against FC Basel (0-2), and in Italy against AS Roma (0-2). Only against Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer (4-0) were the Swabians able to win. All of these opponents are difficult to play against. They rely on physicality, intensity, and emotion. “We didn’t achieve the results we would have liked,” Hoeneß said. “But at least we played well in many phases of the game.”

VfB must play clinically and cool-headed

The problem is quite simple to identify: “Efficiency was a big issue,” said the 43-year-old. It will be again in Scotland. His team must play “clinically and ruthlessly” against Celtic to achieve the desired result. “You have to take advantage of the opportunities you get.”

Ermedin Demirovic, who scored twice against 1. FC Köln (3-1) last weekend and watched the Scots’ Champions League games on TV as a child, will also be responsible for this. “Celtic is a highlight,” says the striker, who is also optimistic that the team has learned from its defeats in the league phase. This is “a completely different thing from the final rounds. It won’t be easy, but I think we’ve grown a lot.”

Hoeneß wants to prepare his team for specific situations

Even the situation in a knockout round, which Stuttgart describe as new? “There’s a difference between being on the third matchday of the league phase with five more games to go, and having only two games in a week,” explains Hoeneß, who wants to prepare the team specifically for this. “You might have to briefly run through one or two scenarios in your mind: What do we do in the final phase? How do we behave in certain situations? But there won’t be any tactical games at the start of the match.”

Great memories with FC Bayern’s U19 team

Regardless of the sporting challenge, Stuttgart are trying to enjoy the game a little. Hoeneß still remembers an experience with FC Bayern’s U19 team. An unforgettable evening at Celtic Park in Glasgow. In the afternoon, they “played in the Youth League and in the evening they watched the pros play,” who won 2-1. “The stadium is huge, the atmosphere will be outstanding. It will be difficult, but of course also highly motivating to play there. These are exactly the games you hope for when you qualify for this competition.”

Own goal in stoppage time: Arsenal slip up against bottom club Wolverhampton

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Own goal in stoppage time: Arsenal slip up against bottom club Wolverhampton

Arsenal were on course for victory thanks to goals from Saka and Hincapie, but ended up embarrassing themselves against bottom club Wolverhampton. The league leaders could only manage a 2-2 draw at Wolves due to an own goal in stoppage time.

After their comfortable FA Cup win against Wigan (4-0), Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta once again put his faith in his first-choice players. Gyökeres, Rice, Zubimendi, Hincapie, and Gabriel all started the game. Havertz, meanwhile, did not make the squad as the German attacking midfielder continues to recover from a muscle injury.

Saka puts Arsenal on track early on

Even without Havertz, the Gunners got off to a flying start. Less than five minutes in, they had already found the back of the net, with Rice finding plenty of space on the left wing and picking out Saka with a precise cross. Arteta’s side showed no signs of letting up and pinned Wolverhampton back in their own half. However, there were no real chances to speak of at first. The hosts managed to hold their own in the first half with their robustness and strength in challenges.

When there was danger, it was almost exclusively in front of José Sa’s goal, who wobbled briefly when Madueke curled in a shot, but was on hand to save Martinelli’s follow-up (17′).
The league leaders dominated the game after that, but lacked the final touch in their attacking moves. In stoppage time at the end of the first half, André gave the stadium its first moment of excitement, but his low long-range shot missed the target.
In the second half, the hosts carried the momentum of the final minutes of the first half into the new half and took control of the game. Arsenal were very passive, but were caught out by a period of pressure from Wolves.

In the second half, the hosts carried the momentum from the final minutes into the game and took control. Arsenal were very passive, but struck a blow in the midst of a period of pressure from Wolves when Hincapie kept his cool in front of José Sá after a strong through ball from Gabriel (56′). At first, the assistant referee raised his flag, believing the former Leverkusen player to be offside. However, after consulting VAR, the goal was rightly allowed to stand. The hosts were not fazed by this. Just three minutes later, Wolves struck back in spectacular fashion. Bueno curled the ball beautifully into the corner from near the right corner of the penalty area, reigniting the stadium.

An open game developed with the bottom-of-the-table team having the advantage. Arsenal’s defense wobbled from time to time but did not allow any notable scoring chances. Wolverhampton increasingly played long balls, which posed little problem for the Londoners.

Wolverhampton shocks Gunners late

Nevertheless, the hosts did not give up and were rewarded for their efforts very late in the game – with a little help from the Arsenal defense. Gabriel and Raya got in each other’s way on a cross, causing the keeper to drop the ball. Calafiori was unable to save Edozie’s shot. The defender first pushed the ball against the post, then got it back on his body and had to watch as it bounced into the net (90+4).

This increases the lead over ManCity, who have one game in hand, to just five points.

On Sunday (3 p.m.), Wolverhampton Wanderers continue their campaign at Crystal Palace. Two and a half hours later, Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in the London derby.

Seven points behind Inter: Milan stumbles against Como

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Seven points behind Inter: Milan stumbles against Como

Two goalkeeping errors occurred in Wednesday’s Serie A match between Milan and Como. The final score between the two Lombardy clubs was 1-1—not enough for the Rossoneri, who are now seven points behind city rivals Inter in the title race.

In the early stages of this Serie A match on matchday 24, the visitors from Como controlled the game against a harmless AC Milan with a lot of possession. However, scoring chances were few and far between, and it took almost half an hour for that to change. With a little help from the home side: Milan’s recently celebrated goalkeeper Maignan made a serious mistake in his own build-up play in front of the home crowd at San Siro, playing a cross-field pass to Pavlovic that was far too inaccurate. Paz intercepted the ball and had no trouble finishing into the empty net (32′).

After taking the lead, Como remained the more active team, while Milan offered very little in attack. The most notable player was Como’s goalscorer Paz, who was involved in almost all of Cesc Fabregas’ team’s attacks.

Rafael Leao capitalizes on another goalkeeper error

In the second half, the home side finally stepped up their game, living up to their role as favorites in this Lombardy derby as the second-placed team in the table. They looked much more alert and attacked the opposition’s defense with more energy.

After almost an hour, DFB striker and AC winter signing Füllkrug was also in the game—and witnessed the next goalkeeper blunder up close: after a long ball from Milan’s Jashari, Como’s keeper Butez was far too far in front of his goal, which Rafael Leao gratefully accepted and scored the equalizer with a lob (64′). . In the final stages, the hosts were even close to taking the lead, but were also lucky that Saelemaekers, who had already been booked, did not receive a second yellow card within a few minutes.

In the end, the score remained 1-1, which meant that Milan’s city rivals Inter (who had recently won 3-2 in the Derby d’Italia against Juventus and suffered a surprise 3-1 defeat to Bodö/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League play-off) were now comfortably in first place with seven points. Next up for the Rossoneri is Parma (Sunday, 6 p.m.). Como, still hoping to be the surprise team in international competition, faces another real cracker in its next match: on Saturday (3 p.m.), Fabregas’s team will take on the record champions from Turin.

Rostock lets victory against Bamberg slip away

Lesley Summerville
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Rostock lets victory against Bamberg slip away

The Seawolves wanted to go into the international break on a high note. But shortly before the end, the Baskets equalized. The decision was made in dramatic overtime.

The Rostock Seawolves, who play in the German Basketball League, suffered a setback in their battle for a playoff spot. Despite leading for most of the game, head coach Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz’s team ultimately lost 86-88 (72-72, 43-41) to BMA365 Bamberg Baskets after overtime, suffering their ninth defeat in 20 league games. However, thanks to their 87-74 victory in the first leg, the Mecklenburg team still has the edge in the head-to-head comparison with their rivals. In the first quarter, both teams were evenly matched. Neither Rostock nor Bamberg was able to establish a significant lead. The hosts’ biggest lead was four points. Three and a half minutes before the break, the Seawolves took a clear lead for the first time at 41-29 after a three-pointer by Andy van Vliet and a layup by Elias Baggette, but lost their clear advantage again after a strong offensive phase by the visitors.

The game remained competitive until the end. Rostock repeatedly pulled away, but Bamberg refused to be shaken off decisively. Ejiofor Onu saved the southern Germans seven seconds before the end with a layup to make it 72-72 and send the game into overtime. In overtime, the Seawolves were ultimately narrowly defeated.

Aston Martin facing problems: Fernando Alonso promises a “solution”

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Aston Martin facing problems: Fernando Alonso promises a “solution”

Aston Martin is lagging behind the competition and struggling with problems during testing in Bahrain: Fernando Alonso remains relaxed and promises a “solution.”

On the fourth day of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, the start of the second week of testing, Aston Martin is once again lagging behind the competition. Although the gap to the front runners has apparently been reduced, Adrian Newey’s team still has a lot of work to do.
However, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso remains relaxed. “I think everything can be fixed in the short and medium term,” said the Spaniard on Wednesday in Bahrain. “I don’t think anything is impossible to solve. But we’ll have to wait and see.”

He added: “We’ll try to fix everything we can before Australia and then get as many things sorted as possible in the first few races before it’s too late in the championship. I’m optimistic and I think there’s already a solution.”

Mike Krack admits: Problems in all areas

Mike Krack, former team boss and currently Trackside Engineering Officer at Aston Martin, admits that his team was simply too late. “It was good that we went to Barcelona, but we weren’t really ready,” the Luxembourger admits in retrospect.

As a result, the test drives in both Barcelona and Bahrain did not go as the team had hoped. “There are lots of little problems that prevent you from driving, and they affect all areas of the car,” reveals Krack.

“We also know that we have new electronics, new partners, a new gearbox, and a new suspension,” says the engineer, reminding us that a lot has changed at Aston Martin over the winter. “So it’s difficult to isolate a single area.”

It would be easier if there was only one issue to fix and you could focus all your energy on that. But that’s not the case at Aston Martin. “So I think it was probably our late start that put us in a slightly more difficult situation in terms of reliability,” says Krack.

Lack of reliability a major disadvantage

“If you don’t rack up the laps – and I think we have about three times fewer laps than some of the top competitors – then you’re behind and you have to be realistic,” adds the Trackside Engineering Officer. “Then you have to catch up.”

“There’s no other way, but they’re not waiting for us. We really have to do our best not to fall behind,” says Krack. “Every lap you don’t drive is a lap you’re missing, and you have to catch up. So it wasn’t a fantastic start.”

Aston Martin knows that it is not yet at the same level as its competitors and that there is still a lot of work to be done before the season starts in Australia. Mike Krack’s approach is therefore clear: “We need to focus, look at our problems, and solve them step by step.”

“Superstition 2.0”: Did the scales predict the DTM title for Preining in 2023?

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“Superstition 2.0”: Did the scales predict the DTM title for Preining in 2023?

Thomas Preining reveals why he believed in the scales when Grello won its first DTM title in 2023 – and which ritual in the truck no one should see

Racing drivers are often superstitious. However, Porsche works driver Thomas Preining, who was confirmed by the “Grello” Manthey team for the 2026 DTM season on Tuesday, seems to be particularly superstitious. The 27-year-old Austrian reveals in the Over the Limit podcast with his fellow racing drivers Laurens and Dries Vanthoor that in 2023, during his DTM championship season, he believed that the scales would decide victory or defeat.

“There’s a rumor,” Laurens Vanthoor begins. “Apparently, you know how successful your weekend will be after you’ve stepped on the scales.” Preining doesn’t disagree and admits that he is “a little superstitious.” It started in 2023, his first DTM year with Manthey.

“I always weigh the same – either 72 or 73. And whenever I weighed 73, it was a really crappy weekend. And when I weighed 72, it was really good,” he realized at the time, recognizing a pattern.

Preining double success in title finale: “We’ve believed in it ever since.”

“That’s superstition 2.0,” Laurens Vanthoor teases his fellow Porsche works driver. But according to Preining, the 2023 season finale at Hockenheim, when the “Grello” driver prevailed in the title fight against Mirko Bortolotti, also confirmed the theory.

“Of course, it’s very difficult to control, but it’s true,” says Preining, referring to the theory about body weight. “At Hockenheim, when I won both races and the championship, I only weighed 71 kg. We’ve believed in it ever since.”

Preining on superstition: “I can be strange in that regard.”

But in 2024, when Preining and Manthey wanted to defend their DTM title, the magic suddenly seemed to have vanished. “It didn’t matter what my weight was. It didn’t help,“ says the Linz native, alluding to the difficult season in which he and his team managed only one victory and the Manthey team struggled with the ground clearance on the front axle specified by the Balance of Performance.
Laurens Vanthoor is surprised by his Porsche colleague’s superstition: ”I’ve never seen it that way before. I thought I was generally faster when I was lighter.“ However, he adds that there is a standard driver weight in the DTM, which is 85 kilograms including equipment and driver ballast, so the issue is not a significant factor anyway.

To which Preining replies: ”I can be strange in that way.”
But does the first Porsche race winner and champion in DTM history also have rituals that are supposed to bring him luck on race weekends? The 2023 DTM season, in which the now Ford works driver Dennis Olsen was his teammate, is likely to have been formative in this regard as well.

Preining’s ritual with Olsen that no one was supposed to see

“Dennis and I had a qualifying preparation,” Preining explains. “We listened to music and sang, but really loudly.” And apparently that wasn’t all. “The craziest and worst thing was that we danced while we were getting changed for qualifying. It was eight o’clock in the morning and we were getting ready to get into the car.”

“So we were naked together in the truck, singing, dancing, and listening to loud music. Imagine if someone had walked in.”

However, Preining says that this is his only ritual – and it wasn’t even his idea. “Dennis basically forced me to do it because he always has his speaker with him. And as you know, he likes it loud. We had a few songs that we always listened to to get us in the mood.”

James Vowles waves it off: Compression debate “off the table in 48 hours”

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James Vowles waves it off: Compression debate “off the table in 48 hours”

⁠Williams team boss James Vowles expects quick clarity in the compression dispute – but Red Bull does not see it as a mere sideshow

Amid the heated debate about the compression ratio of the Mercedes engine, James Vowles is demonstratively calm. The Williams team boss expects a quick solution and considers the issue to be overrated.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding about how significant this really is,” says Vowles, whose Williams team uses Mercedes engines. “To be honest, I think it’s just noise. I reckon it will be sorted out in the next 48 hours.”

There is speculation in the paddock that the Mercedes engine achieves a higher compression ratio in driving mode than the officially permitted 16:1 in static tests. Depending on the interpretation, the advantage is said to be between a few horsepower and up to 20 or 30 horsepower. One thing is clear: rivals are demanding clarity – and, if in doubt, a ban.

Williams affected as a Mercedes customer

As a customer team, Williams relies on the Mercedes power unit. Accordingly, the discussion is being followed closely. A week ago, his protégé Carlos Sainz had already directed attention more toward Red Bull, which he believes has the best drive system.

“We’re not stressed, regardless of which direction it goes in – but we need clarity,” said Mekies. Especially in a new era of regulations, even an advantage of one or two tenths of a second can be decisive.

The dispute over the compression ratio has long been more than just a technical issue. It is part of the political game in the paddock, where every detail becomes a potential competitive advantage. Whether the matter will actually be resolved within 48 hours, as Vowles predicts, remains to be seen.

Max Verstappen: Formula 1 should stay away from Formula E

Phil Laffertey
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Max Verstappen: Formula 1 should stay away from Formula E

Max Verstappen does not want Formula 1 to move any closer to Formula E, even though he does not want to disparage the electric series.

Max Verstappen described the new 2026 Formula 1 regulations as “Formula E on steroids” last week, expressing his aversion to the new driving style and energy management. He reiterated these statements on Wednesday and hopes that Formula 1 will not move any closer to Formula E.

“I don’t want us to get close to Formula E,” emphasized the Red Bull driver. “I actually want us to stay away from it and remain Formula 1.”

Formula 1 has a higher proportion of electric power in its new engines, which now accounts for around 50 percent—much to the displeasure of the four-time world champion. “Actually, you should get rid of that thing and focus on a decent engine,” he says of the more powerful batteries. When asked whether Formula E could become a junior series for Formula 1 in the future and perhaps even more important than Formula 2 due to its technology, he waves it off: “Well, let’s hope not,” he says, but emphasizes: “I mean, not because of the drivers – because there are a lot of good drivers there who could also perform really well here.”

But: “Formula E should remain Formula E, because that’s what it’s all about.”

Formula E “really cool car,” but …

Formula E boss Jeff Dodds invited Verstappen after his comments about the race in Jeddah and said that he would actually like the new Gen4 car, which will be introduced next season.

Verstappen wouldn’t even dispute that, but if it were up to him, the two series would be strictly separated—and both could exist in their own way. “I’m sure that the new car—from what I’ve seen and talked about with some of my friends there—will also be a really cool car,” said the Dutchman.
“But let them be Formula E, and we should remain Formula 1. We should try not to mix the two.”

Verstappen doesn’t care about the backlash

For the FIA and Formula 1, criticism from such a high-profile figure was naturally unfortunate because it made the press and did not cast the new rules in a good light. But Verstappen himself doesn’t care: “I’m just sharing my opinion,” he says.

“We live in a free world, there is freedom of expression. And yes, that’s how I felt,” he clarifies. “Not everyone has to see it that way, but that’s how I felt. And then, of course, it doesn’t matter what other people have to say about it.”

“I was simply asked a question and shared my opinion. I think I’m allowed to do that – so it’s not about whether I get backlash or whatever. I was just being honest.”

Hanfmann loses after a great fight

Jeffrey Gooding
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Hanfmann loses after a great fight

The Davis Cup player loses to Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo. This means that there are no more German professionals left in the tournament.

Professional tennis player Yannick Hanfmann missed out on a place in the quarterfinals at the ATP tournament in Rio de Janeiro after a great fight.

The Davis Cup player lost to Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 4-6 and was the last German participant to be eliminated. Daniel Altmaier (Kempen) did not make it past the first round at the clay court tournament on Copacabana Beach.

Tennis: Hanfmann puts up a great fight

Hanfmann, who had defeated local hero Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva in the opening round, fought his way back to 4:4 after trailing 0:3 in the first set, but then lost his serve for the second time in the tenth game.

In the second set, Cerundolo served for the match, but Hanfmann forced a tiebreak and a third set – where the South American ultimately prevailed.

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