PSG's comeback win, Bodø/Glimt surprise Inter, more

Paris Saint-Germain’s title defence roared back to life inside the Stade Louis II as the holders overturned a two-goal deficit to beat AS Monaco 3-2 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off, while Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt produced the round’s biggest shock by toppling last-year’s finalists Inter Milan 3-1 inside the Arctic Circle.

Luis Enrique’s side looked adrift when Monaco surged 2-0 ahead inside 23 minutes, but a reshuffled PSG clawed their way level before half-time and completed the turnaround late on through substitute Désiré Doué, whose crisp winner capped a night that the Spanish coach said “showed our level.” The victory gives the Parisians a slender advantage ahead of the return leg, though ESPN FC’s panel notes that PSG no longer resemble the relentless unit that swept to last season’s trophy.

“Three weeks between ‘seasons’ after the Club World Cup is not sufficient,” writer Sam Tighe said. “These players are struggling physically and psychologically, and it shows.” Added Mark Ogden: “They’re locked in a three-way Ligue 1 race, so every match matters. They can’t coast domestically anymore.”

Yet the consensus remains that individual brilliance could still carry the champions deep. “When their backs are to the wall, I still think they can deliver,” Sam Marsden insisted, pointing to Doué’s instant impact and the depth provided by stars such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid escaped Lisbon with a narrow win against a Benfica side led by former Blancos boss José Mourinho. Despite fielding a midfield anchored by Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, Madrid needed a stunning Vinícius Júnior strike to subdue the Eagles. Writers remain split on whether the 14-time winners can recapture peak form; while the squad brims with Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois, questions linger over rookie coach Arbeloa’s ability to manage the egos and tactics of a long knockout run.

The round’s headline story, however, unfolded 100 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, where Bodø/Glimt stunned Inter Milan 3-1. Kasper Høgh scored once and assisted two more as the Norwegians carved open Simone Inzaghi’s back line with slick central combinations. The result leaves Inter with a two-goal mountain to climb at a raucous San Siro next week, though Glimt have already proven road-worthy this campaign, winning in Spain against Atlético Madrid and losing only once away in the league phase.

“Is a two-goal lead enough?” Tighe wondered, noting that Inter struck the woodwork twice before Glimt’s quickfire counters. “The playing field will be rather different next week—no plastic pitch, no snowbanks, just a packed San Siro.” Beth Lindop dubbed Inter her “biggest disappointment of the group stage,” and while the Italians could still overturn the deficit, the writers are leaning toward another Scandinavian upset. “I’m backing the Norwegian side to see the tie out,” Marsden said.

Other first-leg fireworks included Galatasaray’s five-goal destruction of Juventus and Newcastle United’s 6-0 rout of FK Qarabag in Azerbaijan. Anthony Gordon’s four-goal masterclass stole the individual honours, placing the 24-year-old Englishman alongside Messi, Ronaldo and Lewandowski on the list of players to hit that mark in a Champions League match. “If you score four, you deserve your flowers,” Ogden said. Lindop added that Gordon’s timely resurgence bodes well for club and country with a World Cup looming.

With every first leg now complete, the knockout playoff picture is set: PSG travel to Monaco protecting a one-goal edge, Inter must outscore Glimt by at least two at the San Siro, and Real Madrid welcome Benfica hoping to avoid a banana skin. The writers agree on one certainty—more drama is guaranteed.