Norwegian champions Viking secured one of the biggest results in their history by drawing with six-time European champions Bayern Munich in a thrilling Champions League match.
Viking, who were in Norway’s second tier as recently as 2018, raced into a 2-0 lead before England captain Harry Kane scored twice to bring Bayern level. Luis Diaz had earlier scored a tap-in for the visitors, while Michael Olise was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the same phase of play, including one for throwing the ball into a Viking player’s face.
Viking had made the perfect start, taking the lead after 71 seconds when Gianni Stensness headed in from a corner. Peter Christiansen then finished superbly on the break in the 38th minute to double their advantage.
After Olise’s dismissal, Viking regained control and were rewarded when substitute Herman Haugen headed home at the back post for the equaliser.
The result was particularly significant for Viking, who are competing in Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1992-93. Captain Zlatko Tripic told Norwegian channel Tv2: “I could have played another 90 minutes. I’m so incredibly proud. I’ve waited 34 years for this.
“We’re playing against some of the best players in the world, yet we still managed to take a 2-0 lead. I think we played an incredibly solid match. We used everything we had. We’ve gained a bit of European experience. I’m just so unbelievably happy.”
Kane’s two goals took his Champions League total since turning 30 to 36 in 40 appearances, moving him one clear of Lionel Messi’s record of 35 goals scored in his thirties.
The 33-year-old has now scored in nine consecutive Champions League matches. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo have previously achieved that, with Ronaldo holding the record after scoring in 11 successive games.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said: “We were dominant, but at the moment it feels like every chance for the opposition leads to a goal.
“It was our own fault. This red card was super dumb… you can see in (Michael’s) eyes that he’s sorry about it and that he regrets letting the team down.”
Bayern will host Arsenal on 21 October without Olise, while Viking travel to Aston Villa on the same night.
Viking’s rise has continued under joint head coaches Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim. They are joint top of the Norwegian top flight with Bodø/Glimt, with eight games remaining.
Their ninth Norwegian title last season was their first in 34 years. Following relegation in 2017, they won the second tier at the first attempt under English manager Ian Burchnall, with several British players in the squad.
Club legend Bjarne Berntsen then guided them to the domestic cup in 2019, but was sacked after a sixth-place finish in the Covid-interrupted 2020 season. Assistants Aarsheim and Jensen took over, leading Viking to third-place finishes in 2021 and 2024 before last season’s title.
Viking play on an artificial pitch in Stavanger and, according to podcaster Lars Risan, recognised they needed to “go back to their roots”.
They beat Dinamo Zagreb to reach the Champions League league phase after losing to Istanbul Basaksehir in last season’s UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. Their previous Champions League campaign ended with a 1-0 aggregate defeat by Barcelona in 1992-93.
Viking’s only top-flight European Cup win came against Banik Ostrava in 1976-77, while their most famous European night was a 4-2 victory over Chelsea that secured a 5-4 aggregate win in the UEFA Cup first round in 2002.
After visiting Aston Villa, Viking host competition debutants Sabah before facing Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, PSV and Napoli.
