Champions League: Ten-man Linfield bow out after heavy defeat by Bodo/Glimt

Ten-man Linfield bowed out of the Champions League as they were thrashed by Bodo/Glimt in the second leg of their second-round qualifier in Norway.

Victor Boniface doubled the lead on the night from the spot after Kirk Millar was sent off for handball.

Amahl Pellegrino (2), Ulrik Saltnes, Runar Espejord (2) and Alfons Sampsted wrapped up an emphatic win for Bodo.

Bodo will play either Malmo of Sweden or Lithuania’s FK Zalgiris Vilnius in the third round of qualifying while Linfield drop into the third qualifying stage of the Europa League, where they will face either Qarabag or FC Zurich.

Millar was the Linfield hero last week with his exquisite late lob giving the four-in-a-row Irish Premiership champions a slender advantage heading into Wednesday’s return leg.

However, the experienced winger’s night in Norway ended prematurely when he was dismissed for stopping Vetlesen’s goal-bound effort after 21 minutes.

With Vetlesen having already given Bodo the lead on the night, Boniface’s spot-kick left David Healy’s side with a mountain to climb.

But the hosts refused to relent and put another two past Linfield keeper Chris Johns before half-time with Pellegrino curling a superb shot into the corner before captain Saltnes stretched to connect with a Sampsted cross.

The Norwegians made three substitutions at the break but that did not disrupt their rhythm as they continued to lay siege to the Linfield goal, with substitute Espejord netting a fifth from close range after Johns had kept out Elias Hagen’s shot.

Pellegrino notched his second from the spot after Ben Hall’s foul on Anders Konradsen before Sampsted finished off a slick Bodo/Glimt move with 17 minutes from time

On 88, Linfield’s miserable evening was complete when Espejord struck for the second time to cap a hugely impressive showing from the home side.

Linfield must now regroup in time for Europa League qualifying in which they face a possible reunion with Qarabag.

The Blues came up against the Azerbaijan side in the Europa League play-off in 2019 with Healy’s men going out on away goals as they fell agonisingly short in their bid to become the first Irish League side in history to make the group stages of a European competition.