Tottenham Hotspur were brilliant in their flight and fight. They battled against all odds to emerge 3-1 victors against Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. The final was held in Tottenham’s new home turf — and boy did they make their home fans proud with their attacking threat and defensive structure.
New man Brennan Johnson got everyone on their feet within a minute, giving Forest the lead after only 38 seconds. Yet, this goal provided Tottenham with an instant lead. That speedy opener would be a harbinger of things to come. The home side held an undeniable advantage in possession and chances created. James Maddison doubled the lead in the 34th minute, continuing to highlight his talent for finding pockets of space and finishing chances.
Despite the aggressive Tottenham attack, New York kept pressing. In the 62nd minute, Dominic Solanke scored from the penalty spot to make it 3-0. Tottenham largely cruised in a comfortable lead for the entire game. Then, in the 83rd minute, Bodø/Glimt’s Saltnes brought one back late on, although that was only enough to change the momentum.
Tottenham fired a total of 19 shots during the game, demonstrating their attacking intent, while Bodø/Glimt had several chances but struggled to convert. Almost equally impressive was the way that Tottenham’s gritty defensive play primarily kept the visitors at arm’s length. Maddison had another free-kick chance that Bodø/Glimt defended well, a testament to the pressure Tottenham was able to keep on their opponents all game.
The home side won an astounding 13 corners in the match. In stoppage time, Porro won a third, illustrating their aggressive attacking approach. Despite Bodø/Glimt’s attempts to fight back, particularly with a chance in the 45+1st minute, they could not find their footing against Tottenham’s organized defense.
Later that day, after the big match, Tottenham’s manager commented about his team’s extraordinary 5-3 routing of Manchester United.
“In terms of performance I couldn’t ask any more of the lads. We were dominant, really well organised defensively and were always a threat going forwards. I don’t think the scoreline reflects our dominance but at the end of the day you want to end the first leg in a good position, and we got ourselves in a good position.” – Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou was clear that his team should not approach a more defensive mindset going into the second leg.
“In terms of performance, we don’t have to go there and defend,” – Ange Postecoglou
He has every reason to be confident, as he trusts his squad to recreate their performance from last year.
“If we play the same way we played today, we’ll get the result we need.” – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham take the win, but issues are starting to worry with the availability of Maddison and especially Solanke. Both players were replaced during the game, leaving their availability for the decisive second leg at Bodø/Glimt’s home ground next Thursday in question.
Both teams have moved on and are preparing for the second leg. Both teams hope to hold onto, or erase their current lead, and advance to the championship match. With so much history behind them, the stage is set for an enthralling showdown as they face off for a spot in the Europa League final.