Bodø / Glimt vs Tottenham

It will prove to be one of the most important games for Tottenham this season if not the season as they face Bodo/Glimt in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final, which will be played in Norway.

Fans will be expecting Ange Postecoglou’s team to seal the deal after a comfortable 3-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in the first leg last week – arguably, the best performance of the Spurs this season.

A three goal lead within sixty one minutes had placed them on an express lane to a most probably an all English final against Manchester United only for Ulrik Saltnes to stroke a consolation goal late into the match.

This is the club’s only tournament trophy which gives them a glimmer of hope for a domestic cup and a path back to the UEFA Champions League after a three year long hiatus.

It was easy to see that Postecoglou was also looking ahead to the trip when selecting his starting lineup for the 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday.

However, Guglielmo Vicario, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison were the only players whooping retained in the team as the Australians preferred to make some changes so as to ensure they did not fatigue. It did at least stop a three-match losing streak in the Premier League and may have been a confidence booster in the process.

Coming into this game as favourites to win the matchday three and qualify, Spurs have not been defeated by such a margin on the road this year in the Europa League.

However, Postecoglou had a taste of defeat in Bodo in a 2-0 loss with Celtic in 2022 and the Spurs have not been good travellers away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium out of their last ten games in all competitions sporting seven defeats.

Primed for the tie, Bodo/Glimt will receive back key players Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen who were banned for the first leg tie.

Tottenham’s season has been underwhelming domestically, but their European form has offered a glimmer of hope. To secure a spot in the final—where they would face either Athletic Club or, more probably, Manchester United—they simply need to avoid a two-goal defeat in their upcoming clash.

Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke gave Spurs a resounding 3-1 lead in their first meeting last week, but Ulrik Saltnes' late goal leaves them with a glimmer of concern going into their trip to Scandinavia.

Ange Postecoglou’s ambitious pledge to deliver silverware in his second season at Spurs could yet come to fruition, potentially ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought. Winning the Europa League would not only bring long-awaited glory but also guarantee Champions League football next season.

Standing in their way are Bodø/Glimt, already historic as the first Norwegian side to reach a major European semifinal. They’ll be looking to exploit any Tottenham nerves, though they’ll need a performance of a lifetime to pull off a monumental upset.