Champions League Takeaway: Bodø/Glimt Make History, Sørloth Shines for Simeone, Newcastle Finish the Job & Leverkusen Dull Olympiacos

Hello Rank Squad!

It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the Second Legs of the Playoff Round of the competitions - where our next four teams booked their spots in the Round of 16. It was a very special night for Bodø/Glimt at San Siro, with their incredible fairytale continuing on with a 2-1 win over Inter that made them the first Norwegian side to ever make the next stage of the competition. We discuss their rise from plucky upstarts in the lower reaches of European competition to relatively household name in the football sphere, and how they've continued their incredible trajectory. 

Then it's over to Madrid, where Atletico won 4-1 against a young Club Brugge side who have impressed in the Champions League this year; thanks to a hat-trick from Alexander Sørloth, who remains their star man in 2026. The scoreline is perhaps a touch flattering, but Atleti are in a scoring mood these days, and that's a good sign as they look to finally win the competition that has eluded them for so long. 

In Part Two we head to St James' Park, where Newcastle had an unassailable lead over Qarabag that never really looked in danger, although it was far from a perfect night for the Geordie Boys as they won just 3-2 against their Azeri opponents despite being 2-0 up after five minutes; and also to North Rhine-Westphalia, where Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 against Olympiacos to hold their first leg advantage and progress through without too much trouble. 

It's Ranks! 

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