With the ongoing trophy drought, any semifinal appearance is going to feel enormous for Tottenham Hotspur, but it is hard to see any scenario outweighing this season’s Europa League campaign. Ange Postecoglou put a target on his back with his second-season trophy comments last summer and has done nothing but throw gas on the fire with his club’s horrifying Premier League performance.
Despite all that, Postecoglou still has a chance to make do on his claim — in fact, oddsmakers see Spurs as the most likely to raise the trophy. Much of that is due to a substantially beneficial semifinal draw against Bodo/Glimt, who arrives in North London as massive underdogs. Spurs can ill afford to waste this opportunity; Thursday must end with a lopsided score line heading back to Norway.
Semifinals (1st Leg): Tottenham Hotspur (0) vs. Bodo/Glimt (0)
Date: Thursday, May 1
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports 2 (UK)
Glimt finished ninth in the League Phase table, level on points with eighth-place Rangers, and started the knockout rounds with wins over Twente and Olympiacos. After taking a 2-0 lead over Lazio in the quarterfinals, the Italian side came back to force penalties in Rome, though the underdogs escaped in dramatic fashion.
The Norwegians clearly have the ability to take down bigger clubs, but this tie heavily favors Tottenham. These sides have never met in competitive play, which is no surprise given Glimt’s limited European history. Spurs last faced a team from Norway in the 2013-14 Europa League, winning both fixtures against Tromso in the Group Stage.
Interior pressure
With the first leg at home — and the second leg on a strange pitch near the Arctic — of course Tottenham will feel obligated to jump in front and bring a lead on the road. However, that necessity is even more significant with multiple key absences for the visitors. Starting midfielders Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen are out due to suspension, as is forward Andreas Helmersen. The gap in quality between these starting XIs is significant with full availability, but now the chasm grows even wider.
Spurs were always likely to own much of the ball, but the visitors’ midfield absentees mean that possession absolutely must translate into opportunities. At least two of Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski will be tasked with orchestrating the attack and leading a 90-minute onslaught on the Glimt net. Even without Heung-Min Son, Tottenham really should be expected to dominate this one and log multiple goals. Lazio, Olympiacos, and Twente all found success away from Bodo, and the situation is set up perfectly for Spurs to do the same.
External pressure
Should Tottenham fail to capitalize against an overmatched, undermanned side, then the next seven days will get dicey. Glimt carries a significant homefield advantage and will relish a chance to dictate terms, especially with the majority of its starting midfield returning in the second leg. Playing first in North London could let Spurs to effectively put the tie away, but leaving the door open becomes even more dangerous knowing how different next week could look.
The cries will be even louder for Postecoglou if his side comes out flat, especially if defensive miscues once again lead to disaster going the other way. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after two professional performances against Eintracht Frankfurt, but taking care of the gimmes has been a challenge all year, both domestically and in Europe. This team is desperate to take something from this season and has gotten the plumpest gift one could imagine. Win by multiple goals Thursday, or prepare for chaos.