No Norwegian side had reached the main draw of the UCL since Rosenborg in 2007/08, but a thumping 5-0 win in the first leg meant that Bodo were all but assured of progression.
A strong team selection showed that the visitors had no intention of being on the receiving end of an incredible upset, and they were happy to concede possession in the early stages as Sturm set the tempo.
Despite their early pressure, the hosts’ hopes were dented even further when a slick move from the Superlaget unpicked their defence. Jens Petter Hauge was the man to do the damage, slotting an exquisite reverse pass through to Mathias Jorgensen to break the deadlock on the night.
Pride was all that was left for Sturm to fight for, and their efforts before the break were rewarded on the half-hour mark when Seedy Jatta headed home the rebound after Tomi Horvat’s initial effort had been parried into his path.
But with a comeback out of the question and the atmosphere subdued, the Austrian champions withdrew Jatta and Otar Kiteishvili before the hour mark as their focus switched to preserving their key players for the campaign ahead.
To their credit, Sturm kept pushing in spite of the insurmountable odds, and were unfortunate not to edge ahead on the night. A flurry of chances came and went as Horvat saw a powerful long-range drive saved, William Boving directed the rebound against the post, before Horvat picked up the loose ball and had another shot blocked.
A slice of fortune eventually fell their way when Tim Oermann’s drive from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection on its way past the helpless Nikita Haikin.
While that goal ended Bodo’s 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions, they’ll be jubilant at reaching the UCL proper for the first time in their history. Once they get there, a seven-match winless run in European away trips will need addressing. Sturm, meanwhile, will drop into the UEFA Europa League after a resounding aggregate defeat.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tomi Horvat (Sturm Graz)
View all of the match stats from this UEFA Champions League match on Flashscore.