The Inter Milan players and the Italian media should have it. The 3-1 loss at Aspmyra was seen as a “work accident”, and the belief was there right up until the start of the match on Tuesday in the second leg that last season’s Champions League finalist simply could not let himself be pushed out of the CL by a mini-putt from the “North Pole”. An Italian newspaper went so far as to analyze its way to the conclusion that the Bodø/Glimt players would be completely put out of the conditions that awaited in the second leg at the San Siro.
La Repblublica was convinced the Bodø/Glimt players would get a taste of Inter Milan’s greatness at the San Siro, far from the cold and artificial turf. The explanation of why Glimt comes to conditions that will be as challenging as Inter’s meeting with Aspmyra, was entertaining. Especially after seeing the Glimt players stop the Inter attack and then rush into attack in the second half to a 1-2 victory.
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Here is the Italian newspaper’s analysis before the start of the match.
“It is likely that the Norwegians will suffer from the conditions at San Siro. And here it is not about the weather. A packed stadium, supporters’ cheers and a turf that is far more well-groomed and predictable in the bounce than what they are used to. Although Bodø/Glimt beat Atlético in Madrid in the league phase, they have otherwise not excelled away from home, which Inter must exploit to their advantage, writes the newspaper.
Then we come to the tidbit, the calculation that was supposed to show the Bodø/Glimt players would struggle extra much.
According to Uefa, Aspmyra is 65 meters wide, three meters narrower than San Siro. It seems like a small difference, but three meters extra width means 315 extra square meters to run and hit crosses on, wrote La Repubblica.
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We can hear chuckles up in Bodø.
