Giant-killing Bodo/Glimt stuns Borussia Dortmund
Bodo/Glimt registered yet another famous Champions League win as Fredrik Sjovold's 52nd-minute goal was enough to beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at Aspmyra Stadion.
The Norwegian minnow beat the likes of Manchester City and Inter on its giant-killing run last season, and it added another European powerhouse to that list on Thursday.
Sondre Fet fired over after 21 seconds as Bodo looked to make a lightning start, with Ramy Bensebaini then sending a speculative effort wide of Nikita Haikin's at the other end.
The only shot on target in the first half came in the 10th minute, but Jens Petter Hauge's volley from just inside the Dortmund penalty area was comfortably held by Gregor Kobel.
Bodo came closest to taking the lead when Fet's curling attempt narrowly evaded the right post, with Hauge then firing over as the opening 45 minutes petered out with nothing to split the two sides going into the break.
Andreas Helmersen forced Kobel into action 23 seconds after the restart, and Bodo's lightning start to the second half was rewarded when Sjovold smashed Sondre Auklend's cross in at the Dortmund goalkeeper's near post.
Kovac responded by making four changes on the hour, with Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, Julian Ryerson and Ethan Nwaneri all thrown on to try and change the game.
Nmecha came close to making an instant impact, but his curling effort from distance was brilliantly tipped behind by Haikin, with Nwaneri then seeing a glancing header land in the grateful arms of the Bodo shot-stopper soon after.
More heroics from Haikin smothered another Nwaneri attempt from close range before Nmecha once again saw his shot repelled, with Bodo holding on for their first Champions League win of the season.
There was, however, a better result for Dortmund's Bundesliga counterpart Stuttgart, which made light work of Slovan Bratislava and eased to a comfortable 3-0 win.
Deniz Undav put Stuttgart ahead in the 29th minute before an own goal from Sandro Cruz pulled the visitor further clear, with Ermedin Demirovic sealing the victory late on.
At Stamford Bridge, Shakhtar Donetsk maintained its unbeaten start in Europe by beating AEK Athens 3-1, though it needed two late goals to get the win.
Lovro Majer's opener was cancelled out by Pedrinho's 34th-minute penalty, but two goals in six minutes from Vinicius Tobias and Gleiker Mendoza turned the game around.
