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Ange Postecoglou has hit back at those he says are trying to "diminish" Tottenham's Europa League run and insists his side face a "really tough" opponent in Bodo/Glimt in the semifinal.

Tottenham, despite a woeful Premier League campaign that sees them sit 16th with 19 defeats, have impressed in Europe and face the Norwegian underdogs for a place in the final and a chance of a first major trophy in 17 years.

Manager Postecoglou, who has been under increasing pressure due to the domestic form, claims the players are fully focused on an "unbelieveable opportunity," with the first leg taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday.

"I've sensed, which is not surprising because I've said before that this is the way this club is perceived, that people are almost trying to diminish it in some respects," Postecoglou said of Tottenham's Europa League exploits.

"I've heard people say it's the equivalent of Man United winning the FA Cup. No it isn't. I'm sorry. Not on any planet is it the equivalent.

"Others suggest that maybe we're not worthy of Champions League. Things that are designed to diminish what's ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity.

"Irrespective of how this season has gone, we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else, to share a special moment with people that they love. This season could have gone very differently and we could be flying in the league, but that doesn't make the opportunity any different.

"What we have before us is the semifinal of a European competition with an opportunity to get to a final, win a trophy and get Champions League football. I just think for the players and everyone involved at the football club it's a brilliant opportunity."

Tottenham will once again be without captain Son Heung-Min for the first leg despite his return to individual training, something which adds to what Postecoglou is adamant is a tough task in Bodo/Glimt.

Bodo, while winning four of the last five Eliteserien titles, are the first Norwegian team to reach a semifinal of a major European competition and come into the tie as huge outsiders -- but Postecoglou cites previous seasons and their victories against Olympiacos and Lazio as reasons to respect them.

"I don't expect them to be overawed by the occasion," Postecoglou said. "They're going to be a really tough opponent. I love their approach, I love that they're not intimidated by opposition."

The Australian boss also corrected a Norwegian journalist calling Bodo a "small club."

"You'd love us to think you're a small club wouldn't you!" he added. "Bodo are there on merit. They beat Olympiacos, Lazio, tough football teams.

"It doesn't matter where you come from. I come from the other side of the world where football is the fourth biggest sport. You say we're a big club, you're a small club. It doesn't matter, we're two clubs in the semifinal and they've done very well to get there and we're going to treat them with respect they deserve.

"This is not just a one-off. They beat Roma four years ago and every year they've done that to more than one club which supposedly are bigger. They've earned it. Even to get to knockout stage, they've not got here by accident."

Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Newcastle United are keen on Marc Guéhi, while Saudi club Neom have started discussions with André Onana's representatives. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

- Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Newcastle United all remain keen on Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the 24-year-old having been on their respective shortlists of options for months. There is a possibility that Guéhi could move as a free agent in 2026 if a deal isn't agreed this summer. Guéhi was in fine form as Palace romped to a 3-0 FA Cup semifinal win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

- Saudi Arabian club Neom has started major discussions with the representatives of Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana ahead of a possible move in the summer, reports Foot Mercato. The 29-year-old is open to leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia, although it still isn't certain whether all of the parties will be able to reach an agreement. Neom are currently first in Saudi Arabia's second tier, and are planning to make a big splash if they secure promotion to the Saudi Pro League.

- Internazionale have made enquiries about Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah with his contract expiring in the summer, says Calciomercato, although the outlet adds that other options are being considered. Inter are also interested in Lazio defender Mario Gila but their rocky relationship with Biancocelesti president Claudio Lotito makes a deal unlikely, while Bologna pair Sam Beukema and Jhon Lucumi are also being considered.

- Napoli are trying to persuade Lille striker Jonathan David to join them when his contract ends in the summer, claims Le10Sport, which adds that the 25-year-old is hesitant about committing to joining them. Juventus and Internazionale have opened discussions with his entourage, while there is Premier League interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

- Lazio have decided to make Nuno Tavares' loan from Arsenal permanent for €4 million which can be paid in instalments, but Calciomercato have reported that they could now let the left-back join Juventus for just over €15m in the summer. The Bianconeri's interest has been fuelled by the uncertainty surrounding Andrea Cambiaso's future.

Liverpool are a point away from the Premier League crown, and Sunday's game against Tottenham Hotspur side could well seal it.

There is little doubt that Liverpool will clinch the title even with a defeat at Anfield, but they will want to seal their record-equalling 20th league title with an emphatic win.

- Premier League table

Meanwhile, enter the game an enormous 42 points behind the league leaders and are 16th in the table. Although safe from relegation, it has been a season to forget domestically for Ange Postecoglou's men, albeit they still have a Europa League semifinal to play.

Can Tottenham delay Liverpool's party for at least another week? Or Arne Slot complete his task of delivering a Premier League title in his debut season?

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game.

How to watch:

The match will be available on Sky Sports in the UK, Peacock in the United States, Optus Sport in Australia, and JioHotstar in India. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details:

Date: Sunday, April 27 at 4.30 p.m. BST (11:30 a.m. E.T., 9 p.m. IST, 1:30 am AEST, Monday morning)

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Referee: Tom Bramall

VAR: Darren Cann

Injury news:

Liverpool

Joe Gomez, D, hamstring, OUT, estimated return early May

Tyler Morton, M, shoulder, OUT, estimated return early May

Tottenham

Radu Dragusin, knee, OUT for the season

Heung-Min Son, foot, OUT for a few days

Expected Lineups:

Liverpool

GK: Alisson Becker

RB: Conor Bradley | CB: Ibrahima Konate | CB: Virgil van Dijk | LB: Andrew Robertson

CM: Alexis Mac Allister | CM: Ryan Gravenberch | CM: Dominik Szoboszlai

RW: Mohamed Salah | CF: Diogo Jota | LW: Luis Diaz

Tottenham

GK Guglielmo Vicario

RB Pedro Porro | CB Cristian Romero | CB Micky van der Ven | LB Djed Spence

CM Pape Sarr | CM Rodrigo Bentancur | CM Dejan Kulusevski

RW Brennan Johnson | CF Richarlison | LW Mathys Tel

Stats:

Liverpool have not lost to Tottenham in their last 15 home games across all competitions (11W, 4D).

Just this season, Tottenham have conceded 10 goals against Liverpool (a 6-3 loss in the Premier League and a 4-0 loss in the League Cup second leg).

With five games remaining, Liverpool have already won as many Premier League games this season as they did the last (24)

Tottenham have lost 18 Premier League games this season, only losing more in 1993-94 and 2003-04 (19)

Mohamed Salah has 15 goals against Spurs -- the only team he's score more against is Manchester United (16).

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Cristian Romero opens door to transfer: 'Would love to play in LaLiga'

Romero, whose contract with Spurs expires in June 2027, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero has said he "would love" to play in LaLiga one day amid growing speculation over his future in north London.

Romero, whose contract with Spurs expires in June 2027, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid this summer.

"LaLiga is the one [league] left to play in. I would love to, to tell you the truth," Romero told TyC Sports. "I would love to play there because it's the league I'm missing."

Romero, 26, is in his third season at Spurs, whom he joined from Atalanta on an initial loan deal in 2021, before the transfer was made permanent a year later.

Injuries have limited the Argentina international to only 23 appearances in all competitions this season.

The World Cup winner started Monday's 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, a result that condemned Spurs to their 18th loss of the season and left them 16th in the Premier League.

Spurs can still salvage a disappointing season by winning the Europa League. They take on Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in next week's Europa League semifinal first leg in north London.

"It's an important step for the club after so many years where they hadn't reached those stages," Romero said.

"I would like to win it but it depends on many things. After that, once the championship finishes, we'll see."

A two-time Copa América winner, Romero is not ruling out any options

"The truth is I haven't spoken to my representative yet but I'm open to anything," he said. "In my head, I always [think about] growing, also [about] going to new places to keep growing but I don't want to talk about that yet because there's a few months left in the season.

"Above all, I try live the day to day. There are almost two months until the championship ends and in my head it's always [about] competing to the maximum, trying to finish in the best possible way."

The rare smile Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou wore four days ago in Frankfurt was replaced by the more familiar frown as a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest made it 18 Premier League losses for the London club this season.

Tottenham found themselves 2-0 down after 16 minutes and although they dominated the game thereafter and got a late lifeline through Richarlison, it proved another tale of woe in a season that could become Tottenham's worst in terms of points gained since they managed only 44 in 1997-98.

With a tough run-in to come, including a trip to champions-elect Liverpool next weekend, they are down in 16th place with 37 points. Only the bottom three clubs have lost more games.

Tottenham's 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt which put them in the Europa League semifinals kept their season alive and Postecoglou could yet deliver on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.

But another damaging league defeat, their eighth at home in the league this season, increases the pressure on the 59-year-old former Celtic manager.

"It's another game we have lost where we shouldn't lose and it's been a big part of our season in that we are just making things really difficult for ourselves in key moments," Postecoglou told reporters.

"Giving away poor goals. It's a shame because our football was outstanding and we totally dominated the game. Even with the two goals we conceded I still feel like we deserved to win the game. At the same time it's another loss and another unacceptable loss.

"For us it's just been a season where at times, even with the challenges we have had, it's really frustrating because our football was so good. We have lost another game."

Tottenham were booed at halftime, but the mood was a little more forgiving at the end after a stirring climax to the game in which the hosts pinned Champions League chasers Forest back.

"I don't need to say anything to the fans. The fans are disappointed and angry as we are as well," Postecoglou said.

"The fans clearly wouldn't be happy with our results but neither am I or the players. From our perspective, it's something we need to accept responsibility that we have fallen short of the standards we need to have.

"The flip side of that is that the frustrating bit is it's not because of the way we are playing because our football today was very similar to the Frankfurt game at home which was another game we should have won."

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood scored his 19th Premier League goal of the season in 2-1 away victory at Tottenham Hotspur which sent his side third in the table on Monday.

Back-to-back league defeats had slowed Forest's push for Champions League qualification but they got back on track thanks mainly to a superb start in north London.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side took the lead after five minutes when a corner fell to Elliot Anderson who found the net with a deflected drive.

"We are in a fight that nobody expected, us included," Espirito Santo said. "We are in the mix against big teams and that only can make us proud. And we embrace the challenge."

New Zealander Wood then had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside decision before doubling Forest's lead with a glancing header from Anthony Elanga's cross in the 16th minute.

Tottenham improved after their calamitous start and Richarlison rewarded their pressure with a powerful header to beat Matz Sels in the 87th to set up a nervy finale.

Forest hung on though to move above Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United in the race for a top-five finish with 60 points. Europa League semifinalists Tottenham are 16th with 37 after an 18th league defeat of the season.

Tottenham could still salvage their season by winning the Europa League, but a first home league defeat by Forest since 1997 will increase the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou, who is in danger of leading the north London club to their worst Premier League points haul since they earned 44 in 1997-98.

After their dream start, Forest were content to cede possession, defend deeply and rely on counter-attacks -- a formula that has served them well this season.

Tottenham did carve out plenty of opportunities with Wilson Odobert a threat out wide and Richarlison twice thwarted by excellent saves while Harry Toffolo made a superb goal-line clearance to keep out Dejan Kulusevski's header.

There was clear relief at the end among the Forest ranks and with a reasonably comfortable run-in to the season, they are now well-placed to return to Europe's elite club competition that they won back-to-back in 1979 and 1980.

Their season could get even better next weekend as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal.

"We are ahead of a big week for us," the Forest manager added. "We're going to Wembley to compete against a big team and there are a lot of games ahead of us. As long as we keep this approach, competing well, you never know."

Ange Postecoglou told his critics they will "have to put up with me for just a little bit longer" after Tottenham Hotspur sealed a Europa League semifinal spot with a 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

Dominic Solanke's 43rd minute penalty, after James Maddison had been floored by Eintracht goalkeeper Kauã Santos, secured Tottenham's win that completed a 2-1 quarterfinal aggregate victory against the Bundesliga side.

Spurs will face Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in the semifinals in May.

With Spurs having lost seven of their last 12 games ahead of the Frankfurt clash, Postecoglou's position as coach had become increasingly tenuous, with some reports suggesting he could lose his job if the team were eliminated by Eintracht.

But the former Australia coach issued a defiant riposte after taking Spurs closer to the first trophy since 2008.

"Unfortunately, you guys are going to have to put up with me for just a little bit longer," Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference. "I'm delighted with many things. I'm super proud of the lads -- away from home in a quarterfinal against a very good side. We needed to score tonight and show the quality we have and to a man, they were outstanding in such a big game. We've earned the right to be in the semi.

"I'm the same manager today that I was yesterday, so if anyone thinks I'm a better coach, I don't care. It doesn't affect what I do. Do the players believe in me and do the staff believe in me, that's all that matters.

"The players and staff have just been outstanding. I'm the frontman, but they take responsibility through my decisions and I've never felt they have ever doubted what we've been doing.

"After a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff to leave me in a pretty vulnerable place by splintering, but I've never felt that."

After a season of injuries to key players, many of them long-term, Postecoglou has rarely been able to field his strongest team.

But in Deutsche Bank Park, Spurs were almost at full strength, with only captain Son Heung-Min and defender Radu Dragusin unavailable due to injury.

And Postecoglou said that the performance of his team proved what Spurs have been missing for much of this season.

"From our perspective, we've had a difficult season," Postecoglou said. "There's some reasoning behind that, but it was pretty evident tonight, with our strongest team out there, that some of the things we suffered this year we wouldn't have.

"[Guglielmo] Vicario, [Sergio] Romero, [Micky] Van de Ven, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, Solanke -- we missed all these guys this year, and others. We know we can be a team that is pretty compelling against anybody when we have everyone available.

"That's what gave me heart all along, that when we got some players back, I really believed we could achieve.

"But we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We are in the semi and we will have a difficult opponent."

Postecoglou, meanwhile, said that Maddison did not suffer a serious injury in the collision with Santos, which led to the England midfielder having to leave the pitch moments later.

"Maddison is fine," Postecoglou said. "He showed unbelievable courage in that moment, he put his body on the line. He' s sore, but he helped us progress to the semi, so I hope that makes him feel better.

"I'm surprised it wasn't a red card. I thought it was a clear penalty, I'm not sure why we needed VAR to decide that."

A first-half penalty by Dominic Solanke secured Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal on Thursday for a 2-1 aggregate victory.

They will face Norway's Bodo/Glimt, who beat Lazio in a shootout, in May for a spot in the final.

Solanke gave Tottenham the lead from the spot two minutes before halftime after the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul by goalkeeper Kaua Santos on Spurs midfielder James Maddison.

Maddison headed the ball before clashing with the arriving Santos, and the referee pointed to the spot following a VAR review.

Tottenham continue their quest to win a first European trophy in more than 40 years after their 1984 UEFA Cup success, something that would give them redemption for a disappointing domestic season.

They reached the last four of a European competition for the first time since their run to the 2019 Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 against fellow Premier League side Liverpool.

Playing in a heavy rain, Eintracht showed more intent in the opening stages, but lost Mario Gotze early on after the veteran playmaker suffered what looked like a hamstring injury.

He was replaced by Farès Chaïbi, who wasted no time and had a chance with a header soon after but was denied by Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham were without their captain Son Heung-min, who did not travel due to a foot injury.

Mathys Tel, who signed for Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich in January, started in his place.

The 19-year-old had the visitors' first attempt on target after 26 minutes, sending a lofted shot from outside the box that forced Eintracht goalkeeper Santos into a save.

Eintracht, who took a sixth-minute lead in London through a fine Hugo Ekitike strike, were the better side but fell behind when Solanke sent Santos the wrong way converting coolly with a low shot down the middle of the goal.

The German side, champions in 2022, were far from willing to accept their fate and pushed for an equaliser after the restart but were missing a finishing touch.

The hosts stormed Vicario's goal with 15 minutes to go when the goalkeeper denied Chaibi from close range just before Rasmus Kristensen flashed a header just wide.

The Denmark defender had two more chances within the next minutes, shooting wide and being denied by Vicario.

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A first-half penalty by Dominic Solanke secured Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal on Thursday for a 2-1 aggregate victory.

They will face Norway's Bodo/Glimt, who beat Lazio in a shootout, in May for a spot in the final.

Solanke gave Tottenham the lead from the spot two minutes before halftime after the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul by goalkeeper Kaua Santos on Spurs midfielder James Maddison.

Maddison headed the ball before clashing with the arriving Santos, and the referee pointed to the spot following a VAR review.

Tottenham continue their quest to win a first European trophy in more than 40 years after their 1984 UEFA Cup success, something that would give them redemption for a disappointing domestic season.

They reached the last four of a European competition for the first time since their run to the 2019 Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 against fellow Premier League side Liverpool.

Playing in a heavy rain, Eintracht showed more intent in the opening stages, but lost Mario Gotze early on after the veteran playmaker suffered what looked like a hamstring injury.

He was replaced by Farès Chaïbi, who wasted no time and had a chance with a header soon after but was denied by Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham were without their captain Son Heung-min, who did not travel due to a foot injury.

Mathys Tel, who signed for Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich in January, started in his place.

The 19-year-old had the visitors' first attempt on target after 26 minutes, sending a lofted shot from outside the box that forced Eintracht goalkeeper Santos into a save.

Eintracht, who took a sixth-minute lead in London through a fine Hugo Ekitike strike, were the better side but fell behind when Solanke sent Santos the wrong way converting coolly with a low shot down the middle of the goal.

The German side, champions in 2022, were far from willing to accept their fate and pushed for an equaliser after the restart but were missing a finishing touch.

The hosts stormed Vicario's goal with 15 minutes to go when the goalkeeper denied Chaibi from close range just before Rasmus Kristensen flashed a header just wide.

The Denmark defender had two more chances within the next minutes, shooting wide and being denied by Vicario.