Many thanks to Declan Mulcahy for his report:-
Thursday 1 May 2025, 8:00pm
Europa League Semi-Final, First Leg
Tottenham Hotspur (2) 3 FK Bodo/Glimt (0) 1
Spurs scorers:-
Johnson, 1
Maddison, 34
Solanke, 61 (pen)
Bodo/Glimt scorer:-
Saltnes, 83
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1):
1 G Vicario; 23 Pedro Porro, 17 C Romero (c), 37 M van de Ven, 13 D
Udogie; 30 R Bentancur, 8 Y Bissouma; 22 B Johnson, 10 J Maddison (21
D Kulusevski 65); 9 Richarlison (11 M Tel 45), 19 D Solanke (28 W
Odobert 75)
Subs not used: 40 B Austin, 41 A Whiteman (Gks), 24 D Spence, 4 K
Danso, 33 B Davies, 14 A Gray, 29 P Sarr, 47 M Moore
Booked: Romero (73 foul on Gunderson)
FK Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3): Kjetil Knutsen
12 N Haikin; 20 F Sjovold, 6 J Gundersen, 2 V Nielsen (18 B Moe 45),
15 F A Bjorkan; 19 S Brunstad Fet (95 J Kjaer Jensen 77), 23 J P Hauge,
14 U Saltnes (c); 25 I D Maata (8 S Auklend 65), 9 K Hogh, 11 O D
Blomberg (27 S Sorli 77)
Subs not used: 1 J Faye Lund, 44 M Brondbo (Gks), 4 O Bjortuft, 77 M B
Hansen
Booked: Bjorkan (57 foul on Johnson), Hauge (75 foul on Bissouma)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Attendance: 61,327
Referee:- Jose Maria Sanchez
Assistants:- Raul Cabanero & Inigo Prieto
Fourth official:- Alejandro Hernández
VAR:- Carlos del Cerro Grande
Assistant VAR:- Cesar Soto Grado
(All officials from Spain)
Spurs Dominate but Twist in Tail gives Bodo Glimt (Glimmer) of Hope
Spurs dominated most of this match. With ten minutes remaining they
led 3-0 which would have been an almost insurmountable lead. However
two minutes later they conceded a goal against the run of play. While
Spurs will have the advantage going into the second leg Bodo/Glimt
will certainly think they have a chance of progressing.
Spurs made seven changes from the side that was overwhelmed by
Liverpool on Sunday. Only Vicario, Udogie, Maddison and Solanke
survived. Nine of the starting eleven also began the away match to
Eintracht Frankfurt. Bissouma and Richarlison replaced Bergvall and
Tel. Bergvall apparently injured his ankle in training. However given
the run of injuries Spurs have had this season it wouldn't have been
surprising to learn that he had injured his ankle while signing the
new contract that he entered into this week. Son was also out injured.
Bodo/Glimt are a northern Norwegian team located 200km north of the
Arctic circle. Their entire population could fit into the Tottenham
Stadium and still leave room for around 8,000 Spurs supporters. They
have developed into a fairly formidable team, by Norwegian standards,
during this decade. During the 2021/22 season they played Ange
Postecoglou's Celtic team in the Europa Conference League and won both
matches. This season they have become the first Norwegian team ever to
reach the semi-finals of a major European competition.
This was Bodo's second visit to England during this season's Europa
League competition. On matchday 5 of the group stage they visited Old
Trafford to play Manchester United. As with tonight's game United
scored in the first minute. Bodo came back to lead 2-1 before
eventually losing 3-2.
Recently they made a serious administrative error in understanding the
competition rules. They were apparently unaware that yellow cards
accumulated in the quarter-finals would impact on the teams who
qualified for the semi-finals. As a result the second leg of their
quarter-final against Lazio in Rome had serious consequences for
tonight's match. Two of their influential midfielders Patrick Berg the
captain and HÃ¥kon Evjen received cautions which resulted in them being
suspended for tonight. Also Andreas Helmersen the forward who scored
their goal which took them to a shoot-out in Rome got two yellow cards
during that match and was sent off a minute from the end. Had the team
understood the rules correctly the midfielders might have avoided
their yellow cards.
Odin Bjortuft a regular in the back four was unfit to start tonight
and was on the substitutes bench though he wasn't used.
Given their status Bodo/Glimt's squad is smaller than Spurs and the
net effect of the above factors meant that they started with a much
weaker team than usual. Spurs had the full complement of eleven
substitutes whereas Bodo/Glimt only had eight replacements including
only six outfield players.
Before the game there was a minute's silence for the late Pope
Francis. It was unusual in that although he is a world-known figure he
doesn't have an immediate connection with England or football. Perhaps
because of that the minute's silence could have been better observed.
Spurs made a dream start. Richarlison made a run down the left. He
crossed the ball towards the far post. Bodo failed to clear it and
Bissouma won the ball and passed it to Pedro Porro on the right wing.
He crossed towards the far post where Richarlison met it with a header
directed towards the opposite post and Johnson scored with a header.
Spurs were ahead after just 38 seconds and this was Johnson's fourth
goal in the Europa League this season.
It could have been even better. Five minutes later Romero played a
high ball over the top to Maddison in the Bodo box but he was
unbalanced and headed a good opportunity over the bar.
Such was Spurs dominance that Vicario didn't touch the ball until the
nineteenth minute following a Bodo free kick.
Maddison crossed to Richarlison whose shot on target deflected to
Haikin the Bodo goalkeeper who is Russian and the only player in the
team who isn't Norwegian or Danish. Bissouma had an attempt which was
too high. He was an unexpected choice this evening but justified his
selection.
Solanke laid the ball off in the box but Udogie's shot was also too
high. Richarlison was a constant threat on the left wing.
In the 34th minute Spurs increased their lead. Pedro Porro received
the ball close to his own goal-line. He carried the ball near to the
half-way line and unleashed a long pass towards the Bodo box where
Solanke and Maddison were lurking. Maddison controlled the ball
nicely. Haikin advanced to try and block him but Maddison slid the
ball past him into the empty net. Spurs now led 2-0 and Pedro Porro
played a significant part in the creation of both goals.
A few minutes later Spurs were almost three ahead. Udogie crossed from
the left. Bentancur chested the ball and volleyed a powerful shot
towards the near post. Haikin made a diving save to prevent the goal.
In doing so he injured a finger against the post and needed treatment.
A minute into time added on Bodo had their only attempt of the first
half. Maata crossed from the right. Blomberg met it but his shot was
too high.
Each side made a change after the interval. Tel came on for
Richarlison while Moe replaced Nielsen for the visitors. Richarlison
will have been disappointed to be replaced as he was one of the most
effective threats during the first half constantly probing down the left.
Ten minutes into the second half Bodo suffered a couple of
disciplinary issues. Bjorkan was booked for a foul on Johnson. Then
Sjovold made an unnecessary late tackle on Romero in the Bodo box. The
referee halted play but didn't immediately award a penalty. However
the VAR official advised him to view the incident on the pitch-side
monitor and then he pointed to the spot.
Solanke is now the designated penalty taker and he duly stepped up to
take the kick. He hit the ball towards the left post after a delayed
run-up. The goalkeeper seeing that he was beaten hardly moved and the
ball entered the net unchallenged. Like Johnson it was his fourth goal
in the tournament.
Within minutes Maddison went off with what appeared to be an injury to
his right calf and was replaced by Kulusevski.
Spurs were looking good with a 3-0 advantage but the intensity of
their play seemed to have dropped slightly from the first half. Bodo
lost possession which resulted in Solanke having an opportunity but
his shot deflected over.
Romero was booked for blocking Gunderson's progress. Odobert replaced
Solanke who went off injured. Losing two players to injury in a
ten-minute span was a concern.
Bodo had their first corner of the game after 75 minutes but it came
to nothing. Hauge was booked for a foul on Bissouma.
Bodo made two substitutions. Spurs had a couple of chances from
Kulusevski and Tel which deflected off Bodo players.
With eight minutes remaining Bodo had a rare attack. Kjaer Jensen set
up Saltnes in the box. The latter, the captain for the day, hit a shot
which deflected off Bentancur. Vicario had anticipated the shot and
dived at a lower level. The deflection carried the ball over him into
the top right corner of net. It was a goal against the run of play.
Neither Bentancur nor Vicario were to blame for the goal. (Ed:- Spurs made the mistake of standing off opponents in the build-up to this goal).
About eleven minutes remained including time added on. Spurs tried to
restore their three-goal advantage but the closest they came was in
the final minute when Kulusevski shot on the turn with his weaker
right foot and his effort was wide.
In the context of the game alone. This was an excellent performance.
Spurs dominated and scored good three goals. The crowd was in good
voice throughout.
In the context of the first leg of a two-legged tie it left something
to be desired. A 3-0 win would likely have guaranteed Spurs progress
to the final. A two-goal advantage is still very satisfactory but the
tie is not over for a number of reasons.
Bodo will be a much bigger challenge with their two best midfielders
and a forward who has scored goals all available again after suspension.
They are a fairly formidable team at home. They play in a small noisy
stadium on an artificial pitch which most top teams are unused to
playing on.
Their results at their home ground Aspmyra are impressive. They won
three of the four home group games in the competition surprisingly
losing to Qarabag. In the three knock-out rounds since then they won
by margins of three goals twice and two goals once. In the 2021-22
season they beat Jose Mourinho's Roma 6-1 at home in the Europa
Conference League.
Spurs will have the advantage next week but they will face a stronger
Bodo team at their home ground and the outcome is not guaranteed. At
this point there may be concerns about the fitness of Son, Bergvall,
Maddison and Solanke. It is too early to assess if they will be
available for the second leg.
The outcome of the second semi-final first-leg was unexpected.
Manchester United beat Athletic Club Bilbao 3-0 away. Athletic
self-destructed having a player sent off when they were 1-0 down and
the ten men conceded two more goals. With a home game to come and a
3-0 lead United look likely to go through to the final. This has
implications for the winning team of the Spurs-Bodo tie. The final is
in Bilbao and if Athletic were to go through they be playing at home
in the final.
. Squad numbers,appearances,bookings & goalscorers
. Read the preview for this game.
. All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats
