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For the first time in six years, the UEFA Europa League final will be contested between two clubs from the same country, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur set to contest an all-English clash at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao on May 21.

Of course, while not strictly a "derby" in the purest sense (i.e. a match between two local rival clubs), finals between two clubs from the same country are still relatively rare in continental competition.

Man United vs. Spurs will be only the 10th example of a "country derby" final in the history of the Europa League, which was originally launched in 1971-72 as the UEFA Cup -- coincidentally, that season produced the first, as Spurs beat Wolverhampton Wanderers over two legs (a format that was not changed until 1998). This season will also mark the first Europa League final between compatriot clubs since 2018-19, when Chelsea thrashed Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.

If you combine both Europa League and UEFA Champions League, there have been only 18 "country derby" finals in UEFA competition, with the latter having staged eight instances since being introduced as the European Cup back in 1955-56. Indeed, the most recent example in the Champions League was also an intra-Anglo affair, with Chelsea beating Manchester City in Porto in 2021.

Here is a look back at all 18 "country derby" finals to have graced UEFA club competition history since the 1950s, ranking them all in order of their sporting excellence, enduring impact and entertainment value.

Remembered as one of the least entertaining Champions League finals on record, the 2002-03 final at Old Trafford saw two Italian giants produce a dour, standoffish display like two heavyweight boxers reluctant to engage with each other. After 120 minutes of gritty attrition, AC Milan finally managed to squeeze past their old rivals on penalties, with Andriy Shevchenko slotting home the decisive effort to bring things to a merciful conclusion. However, both goalkeepers -- Dida for Milan; Gianluigi Buffon for Juventus -- were criticized in the aftermath for routinely failing to stay on their lines during the shootout.

The first-ever final in any UEFA competition contested between two Portuguese clubs, the 2010-11 event in Dublin was decided by a lone goal from FC Porto's Radamel Falcao. The Colombia striker broke through Braga's uber-defensive blockade to score just seconds before half-time with what proved to be the only shot on target from Andre Villas-Boas' side in the entire night. Drab stuff.

Contested by a pair of Italian clubs for the second year running, the 1990-91 UEFA Cup final was won by Inter Milan, who lifted the trophy despite losing in their final game of the competition. Under the two-leg format, Inter secured a 2-0 victory at San Siro before losing by a single goal at Roma's Stadio Olimpico in the second leg, which arguably took a little of the shine off the Nerazzurri's big moment.

The third UEFA Cup final to take place between opposition from the same country marked the first instance of two Italian clubs coming faccia a faccia [face to face] in the competition's history. The first of two consecutive all-Italian UEFA Cup finals produced a rather one-sided affair that saw the Bianconeri take charge in the first leg to win 3-1 before grinding out a 0-0 draw at Fiorentina in the second leg to claim the prize. Just a couple of months later, five players from this game would help host-nation Italy reach the 1990 World Cup semifinals, including breakout star Salvatore Schillaci and future Ballon d'Or winner Roberto Baggio.

Parma were pitted against three-time UEFA Cup winners Juventus, only for the underdogs to seal a slim aggregate victory. Parma first nudged ahead with a 1-0 victory at the Stadio Ennio Tardini before wrapping things up with a 1-1 draw at San Siro two weeks later. Despite fielding a sprightly front two of Gianfranco Zola and Faustino Asprilla, it was two goals from midfielder Dino Baggio that ultimately saw the Gialloblu lift the UEFA Cup for the first time -- a feat they then repeated four years later when their star-studded side of 1998-99 vanquished Marseille at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

With Spurs appearing in their first European Cup/Champions League final and Liverpool in their ninth, the 2018-19 climax in Madrid was the fourth final of the decade to feature two clubs from the same country. Perhaps exhausted by their pulsating semifinal comeback against Ajax, Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs side failed to ignite as Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool completed what proved to be a straightforward victory. The two decisive goals came at each end of regulation time, with Mohamed Salah nudging the Reds ahead from the penalty spot with roughly 100 seconds on the clock, before Divock Origi sealed the deal in the 87th minute. In between, Spurs gave a better account of themselves than many remember, with Alisson making eight saves and being named Man of the Match, but the Reds were rightful winners.

Having fallen short of the final for several seasons, Manchester City were desperate to win the Champions League in order to fulfil their manifest destiny. They saw a one-off game against familiar foes Chelsea as a golden opportunity to get their hands on the cup, but things didn't go to script as the Blues circumvented Pep Guardiola's overwrought gameplan to emerge victorious in Porto. Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel, who had only arrived in January to replace Frank Lampard, lifted the trophy on the second attempt -- having been on the losing side with Paris Saint-Germain the previous season. In the end, the encounter was settled by a solitary goal from Kai Havertz, which was prodded home past the onrushing goalkeeper Ederson just a few minutes before half-time. Hardly a stinker, but hardly a classic either.

Introduced as a replacement for the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the inaugural season of the new UEFA Cup format saw two clubs from the English First Division reach the two-legged final staged at Molineux and White Hart Lane respectively. Tottenham won the first leg 2-1 thanks to a stunning 25-yard goal scored by England international Martin Chivers in the 87th minute. They then held Wolves to a 1-1 draw to claim their second-ever piece of European silverware, having lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1962-63.

The 1997-98 UEFA Cup saw the decision made to scrap two-legged finals in favor of a single, winner-takes-all conclusion to the competition that was hoped would enhance the luster of the grand climax, rather than having it played out over two comparatively disparate fixtures a fortnight apart. We're not saying that the inaugural single-leg final was a formality, but Inter were one of the most decorated Italian clubs in Europe, and Lazio had never reached a European final, with a run to the quarterfinals in 1994-95 their best attempt. Goals from Iván Zamorano, Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo Nazário settled the tie for the Nerazzurri at the Parc des Princes, with the young Brazil striker living to his "O Fenômeno" nickname by being named Man of the Match.

Expertly marshalled by Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid held their nerve to be crowned champions of Europe for an 11th time by neutralizing cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid for 120 minutes before eliminating them in a penalty shootout. Ramos tapped in from close range to put Los Blancos ahead early on, but Diego Simeone's side mounted a characteristic fightback, with Antoine Griezmann thumping a penalty off the crossbar before Yannick Carrasco equalized late to send the tie to extra time. In the shootout, the two sides exchanged blows to reach 3-3 with Ramos then slamming home to make it 4-3, at which point Juanfran hit the post. Up stepped Cristiano Ronaldo under San Siro's floodlights and, true to form, the Champions League's all-time top scorer delivered the winning strike and immediately whipped off his shirt in celebration.

With Borussia Mönchengladbach reaching the final as defending champions, few expected the cup to be changing hands since Eintracht Frankfurt finished the season smack bang in the middle of the Bundesliga. Sure enough, Frankfurt lost 3-2 at Gladbach in the first leg and looked to be down and out. However, the whole tie was then turned on its head in the 81st minute of the second leg when Fred Schaub notched a pivotal away goal to dramatically tip the balance in their favor on away goals -- much to the surprise and delight of the majority of the 59,000 fans in attendance at the Waldstadion.

The first-ever all-German Champions League final saw Bayern Munich stampede to victory at Wembley in a season in which they claimed a league, cup and European treble under popular coach Jupp Heynckes. Bayern finished 25 points ahead of second-place Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and once again were able to swat their visibly tiring rivals aside. Goals from Mario Mandzukic and the irrepressible Arjen Robben saw the Bavarians finally shake off their lingering Champions League bad luck, having finished as runners-up in two of the previous three seasons.

With two of LaLiga's biggest hitters meeting in Paris, the 1999-00 Champions League final represented a fairly significant watershed moment in the competition's 45-year history as it was the first time both finalists hailed from the same country. In reality, there was little compatriotic spirit on show from Real Madrid, who drubbed Valencia with unanswered goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raúl to earn Vincente del Bosque's first major honor as a coach. McManaman's extraordinary scissor-kick volley is regularly cited as one of the best goals scored in a European Cup final, and was representative of the insurmountable quality that Hector Cuper's gung-ho Valencia side found themselves up against at the Stade de France.

This energetic final in Bucharest was won almost single-handedly by a virtuosic display from Atlético striker Radamel Falcao, who once again came to the fore on the big stage having also scored the winner for Porto in the previous season's final. The Colombia international got things rolling after just seven minutes with a sensational left-footed curler from the corner of the penalty area. Athletic Club were subsequently limited to intermittent pot-shots until Falcao struck again before half-time, following a clever Cruyff turn in front of goal to effectively shut the game down. A third goal from Diego late on wrapped up a commanding victory for the Rojiblancos, who hoisted the Europa League trophy aloft for the second time in three seasons.

On a rain-lashed evening in Moscow, Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea embarked on a tempestuous slugfest over 120 minutes. Both goals came in the first half of regulation time, with Cristiano Ronaldo heading United in front before Frank Lampard popped up to haul the Blues level just before the break. Chelsea then peppered United's woodwork and had a man sent off in extra time when Didier Drogba slapped Nemanja Vidic in the face during a late skirmish -- the culmination of a personal quarrel between the two players that had been simmering since before kickoff. However, it was the ensuing penalty shootout that produced the evening's enduring image. After Ronaldo's effort was saved, Blues captain John Terry slipped on the sodden turf to miss what would have been the winning kick. Terry then watched on in floods of tears as United came back to win when Edwin van der Sar repelled Nicolas Anelka's tame effort.

No club has won the UEFA Cup/Europa League more times than Sevilla (7), and sure enough the Spanish side were defending champions when they were pitted against LaLiga rivals Espanyol in the 2006-07 final. Indeed, Sevilla were riding high in the league and into the final of the Copa del Rey and as such were fostering dreams of a treble when they pitched up at Hampden Park in Glasgow. They raced ahead twice but found themselves swiftly pegged back on each occasion as Espanyol dug in through extra time and forced the game to penalties. However, the real hero of the hour was Sevilla goalkeeper Andrés Palop, who successfully thwarted meek efforts from Luis García, Jônatas and Marc Torrejón in the shootout to effectively retain the trophy for the Rojiblancos.

The 10th Europa League final to feature two clubs from the same country, the second all-English final and the first to be played by two teams from the same city, the 2018-19 final was essentially a Premier League bout between Chelsea and Arsenal which played out in a weird, half-empty vacuum of the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan -- over 2,000 miles from home.

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring for Chelsea against his former side, who had ex-Blues legend Petr Cech in goal for what proved to be the last game of the 37-year-old's stellar career. With a summer transfer to Real Madrid pending, Eden Hazard was also signing off for Chelsea and did so with a mesmeric individual display that saw the Belgian forward score twice and lay on an assist for Pedro in a full-blooded and dominant victory for Maurizio Sarri's outfit.

The Blues thus became the first team to lift a major European title without losing a single game en route; Arsenal, in their first season of the post-Arsene Wenger era, were to end the campaign empty-handed in what was Unai Emery's sole full season in charge of the club. As the winning players partied on the Chelsea bus after the game, Giroud gave a mocking "thank you, Arsenal" to his former club while brandishing the trophy.

In addition to being contested by two clubs from the same country, the 2013-14 Champions League final was the first time that two clubs from the same city had met in the final as Real and Atlético faced off in Lisbon at the end of an arduous campaign.

Atleti, recently crowned champions of LaLiga, went ahead after 36 minutes through Diego Godín and were then forced to defend like their lives depended on it for the remainder of regulation time as Real -- spurred by the innate necessity to accomplish "La Décima" by winning their 10th European Cup title -- tried everything to heave themselves back from the brink. Despite facing onslaught after onslaught, the Rojiblancos' human barricade looked to have held, and Diego Simeone's dogged side had one hand on the trophy as the final whistle loomed. However, that incredible resolve was cruelly undermined in the dying moments of injury time when a soaring header from Sergio Ramos sent the final into extra time.

BODØ, Norway -- Ange Postecoglou had barely taken his seat at his unveiling as Tottenham Hotspur manager almost two years ago when he was first asked about that painful, cursed word: "Spursy."

He made a promise that day that he would put an end to it. Now, as he is reportedly headed to the exit door no matter what he achieves from here, Postecoglou has guided Spurs to the UEFA Europa League final in a fashion that can only be described as anything but "Spursy."

Take down a wholly beatable Manchester United side, and maybe it will be much harder to label them with that tag.

You'd be forgiven for rolling your eyes -- it's an easy headline grabber, sure -- but this really was everything Spurs are not supposed to do. By winning the second leg 2-0 (5-1 on aggregate), he didn't give rivals any excuse to poke at old wounds, to make Spurs the butt of the joke.

"That [result] is going to upset a lot of people," Postecoglou said.

"There'll be debates now raging and neither of us [United and Tottenham] will be able to get a trophy. If we win, we're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.

"Who cares if we're struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it? I mean, it's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

This game had the makings of a perfect upset story. Picture the scene: Premier League giants Spurs playing away in the Arctic Circle against minnows Bodø/Glimt, who have lost just one home game in Europe all season. Harder still, they had won 27 of their last 34 when welcoming teams from the continent. Those victims include FC Porto, Celtic, and AS Roma (then coached by Jose Mourinho).

Between the artificial turf, the freezing temperatures and the tiny cauldron of an atmosphere, this is a fortress that few teams escape unscathed. Yet, Spurs handled business.

"They [the players] were well-prepared tonight and they executed it perfectly," Postecoglou said.

"It's been chronicled over the last few days that this is a difficult place to come to. I thought the lads just handled it really well as they have throughout this sort of game, particularly the knockout stages and credit to them."

Spurs set up defensively and sucked the life out of the game. They were largely unremarkable in the first half as if by design. There was no need to put on a show with a 3-1 advantage from the first leg. This was about getting in and getting out. No drama allowed. There were not many chances to speak for either side. It was clean and professional.

Then, just after the hour mark, Spurs struck twice to end the tie and book their place in the final. Striker Dominic Solanke scrambled in a Cristian Romero header in the 63rd minute, and right-back Pedro Porro then deceived goalkeeper Nikita Haikin with a cross that looped in to spark celebrations from the few hundred away fans.

It is worth noting that Thursday night's display was not in isolation. Postecoglou, who has at times been accused of willfully encouraging a chaotic, risky attacking system, has instead set out to be pragmatic. It's been a theme of their second-leg knockout games. Against AZ Alkmaar in the Round of 16, they overturned a 1-0 deficit with a 3-1 win in the return leg. Against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarters, Spurs put together a gritty, professional performance and won 1-0.

In Bodø, the clean sheet was as impressive as the victory. According to ESPN Global Research, Bodø/Glimt have scored in every single home game in all competitions since October 2023.

Postecoglou is already on record saying he feels like Spurs have led "parallel" lives between a European run and their worst Premier League campaign since 1994, which sees them 16th in the table.

The Australian coach was quick to hit back at anyone suggesting that their league form would diminish this achievement. He said he didn't care one bit about what the league table said: If Spurs can end their 17-year trophy drought, then it is a successful season.

"What's happening right now is that people are fearing that it actually might happen because it might happen," Postecoglou said.

"Let's see how we can tear it down, somehow diminish it by saying that it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that. Or somehow comparing us to Manchester United.

"If we had United's success, maybe I'd have a different view. I could have been sitting here exactly in fifth position [in the Premier League] and I guarantee you that the commentary around me would be, well, that's a great achievement, but this club needs to win something.

"That's exactly what everyone would be saying. Of course, this [making a European final] is massive."

Postecoglou and Spurs will take confidence in the fact they have already beaten United three times this season -- twice in the league as well as a frenetic 4-3 victory in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals in December.

That brings us back to "Spursy."

It was in that Carabao Cup clash that Spurs were anything but assured. They were leading 3-0 in the 54th minute and somehow threw it away and were drawing 3-3 half an hour later. It took a remarkable "Olimpico" goal from captain Son Heung-Min to get the victory that day. Spurs found a way to win, and yet still they didn't quite earn much respect.

Postecoglou is right when he says that Spurs are an easy target for others to aim at, and it is wrong to diminish this achievement. Making a European final is no easy feat.

His mission is to demand, as it was almost two years ago, is to garner true respect. He knows that will only come by winning a trophy at the end of this. Maybe it would even help him deliver on a promise to put to bed that painful tag, just like he always said he would.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will meet in the Europa League final May 21, after both sides sealed wins in their semifinal ties Thursday.

Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway, and United came from behind for a 4-1 win over Athletic Club in their respective second legs to put further gloss on the final aggregate scorelines after both teams came in with the advantage from the first legs.

The results sets up a final that features two teams from England for the third time in Europa League and UEFA Cup history, after Chelsea beat Arsenal in 2019 and Tottenham prevailed over Wolves in a two-legged affair in 1972.

The final will be played at San Mames, the Basque Country home stadium of Athletic Club where United secured a shock 3-0 win in the first leg of the semifinal.

The deciding match for Europe's second-tier competition will give Man United and Tottenham the chance to end their less-than-stellar seasons -- both teams are in the bottom half of the Premier League -- with a trophy and a spot in the 2025-26 edition of the Champions League.

United came back from 1-0 down against Athletic Club, with Mason Mount coming off the bench to score twice in the second half. Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund were also on target to end the tie 7-1 on aggregate.

"It was too long [waiting for a night like that]," Mount said. "I carried on going, working hard in training every day and tried to stay positive and when I had an opportunity to try to make an impact.

"Today it paid off and I came on and affected the game. It was a tight game when I came on, I just tried to calm it down."

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro struck for Tottenham who finished off Nowegian side Bodo/Glimt by an aggregate score of 5-1.

"In this moment, I am just worried about the next game, trying not to get injuries for the final," said United manager Ruben Amorim after the match. "We need to win it. If we don't win it, it means nothing for us."

Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, now in charge of Spurs, could even make good on his boast earlier this season that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.

"We've given [the fans] some hope, something to dream about, and [an] exciting trip coming up," Postecoglou said. "We'll just keep doing what we're doing."

Tottenham have beaten Man United three times so far this season, twice in the league and also in the Carabao Cup.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has hit back at Arsene Wenger's suggestion that the winner of the Europa League should not automatically qualify for the Champions League.

Spurs are in pole position to qualify for this year's Europa League final, holding a 3-1 advantage over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt after the first leg of their semifinal.

Fellow Premier League outfit Manchester United look set to join them after beating Athletic Club 3-0 in their first leg last week.

Last week, Arsenal manager Wenger said whichever team wins the Europa League should not necessarily qualify for the Champions League.

Asked about Wenger's comments ahead of the second leg against Bodo/Glimt, Postecoglou said: "It is the rules. Why was it not an issue before? Last year, fifth place didn't get you in -- this year it does.

"Spurs does crazy things to people. You put this club into any sentence and they all come out to try and diminish any way they can.

"I have great respect for Arsene, one of the legends of the game, but it's Spurs. They love it, you love it. Bring it on."

Spurs travel to Norway for the second leg of the semifinal on Thursday, while United host Athletic at Old Trafford.

Bodo/Glimt

The Norwegian side were without a number of their key players in the first leg, although they will be able to field a strengthened side as they plot their comeback.

Captain Patrick Berg, midfielder Hakon Evjen and forward Andreas Helmersen were suspended for last week's tie but will return on Thursday.

Bodo/Glimt have not played since their defeat to Spurs, meaning a full week of rest, while Postecoglou decided to field a weakened side against West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Key talking point: Will artificial pitch prove Spurs' undoing?

There are few clubs in Europe with as impressive a home record as Bodo/Glimt. They have won 28 of their last 34 home games in all European competitions, including a 100% record in the knockout stages of this year's Europa League.

"There's no doubt [the artificial turf] is an advantage for us," Bodo/Glimt defender Odin Bjortuft told reporters. "But at the same time, it's what you're used to. We train on this pitch every day, the same with the team we meet, they train on grass pitches every day.

"They have an advantage on us, and we have an advantage on them. I think it's evened out. But of course, playing here at home is a big advantage for us because I don't think a lot of teams are prepared for what's coming.

"We have managed to do this in a successful way. The ball goes really fast here, and that's a key object for us."

Part of Bodo/Glimt's success at home has been the (literal) Arctic conditions of their games. The last time they hosted a European tie -- their quarterfinal clash against Lazio on April 10 -- volunteers were needed to clear the pitch of snow before the game. Bodo/Glimt would win 2-0 and go onto win the tie on penalties after the away leg.

Howeber, a month can make a big difference in northern Norway, where daily sunlight lasts for just 56 minutes in December and nearly 24 hours in July.

Temperatures are expected to be milder for Spurs' visit, with a weather prediction of 6 degrees Celcius for the time of the game.

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A Norwegian football fan bartered five kilos of semi-dried fish for a ticket to Thursday's semifinal clash between Bodo/Glimt and Tottenham Hotspur in the Arctic Circle, as the hosts aim to become the first Norwegian club to reach a European final.

Some 50,000 fans were vying for just 480 tickets to the second leg of Bodo/Glimt's Europa League semifinal.

After missing out, Torbjorn Eide, a production manager at a fish farm in Senja, offered five kilos of boknafisk, a Norwegian delicacy worth nearly 2,500 Norwegian crowns ($243), in exchange for a ticket.

"We produce Norway's best boknafisk, and you probably can't get it in Bodo city. So I thought maybe someone would want it," Eide told Norway's state-run broadcaster NRK on Tuesday.

Oystein Aanes, who had a spare ticket because his brother couldn't make the game, took the bait. "It was just a fun thing," Aanes told NRK.

Inspired by the deal, Nils Erik Oskal decided to try his luck with five kilos of reindeer meat.

"Someone took the bait. It didn't take long," he said.

Oskal's trade could be worth about 1,000 Norwegian crowns.

"But that doesn't matter, I get to experience something huge," Oskal said.

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall's season is over after he injured his ankle, manager Ange Postecoglou said on Friday, while Dominic Solanke and James Maddison are also injury doubts to face West Ham United this weekend.

Bergvall was forced to miss Thursday's 3-1 Europa League semifinal first leg win at home to Norway's Bodo/Glimt with the injury suffered in training, while Maddison (knee) and Solanke (thigh) were forced to come off in the second half.

"It looks like Lucas's injury is significant enough to keep him out for the rest of the season. He tweaked some ligaments in his ankle so he's out," Postecoglou told reporters.

"Dom [Solanke] is not too bad. He's still a bit sore from last night but we don't think it's anything serious. He's a doubt for the weekend, but we hope it will settle down pretty quickly.

"Madders [Maddison] is a bit more of a concern because it's his knee but we've sent him for a scan. We're just waiting for the outcome."

Spurs captain Son Heung-Min has also been battling a foot injury that has kept him on the sidelines for five games and Postecoglou said he hoped to have him back for the second leg.

"Son's working hard, he's progressing. He's still doing individual [training] but he's out on the grass and feels better every day," he said.

"We'll see how he's going by Thursday, whether he'll be available for next Thursday."

Spurs, who are a lowly 16th in the Premier League standings, have bigger fish to fry as they look to win the Europa League -- their only ticket to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Postecoglou said he was "super proud" of his team after they bounced back from a 5-1 loss at Liverpool, who won the title, to beat Bodo/Glimt and put one foot in the final.

"All the way through Europe, we've hit some really good levels and played some really good football. We've faced some difficult challenges and overcome them in a real composed manner," Postecoglou said.

"It was a difficult day for us last weekend [at Liverpool]. You never want to dismiss those experiences, you need to learn from them. They need to make you angry and disappointed, and we were.

"I didn't let the players off the hook with that, but we had to refocus pretty quickly for what was a really important game. I was really pleased with the players' mentality, which has been really strong all the way through the European campaign."

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a difficult season, with the club on track for their worst-ever performance in the Premier League, as well as defeats in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Entering Thursday, a Europa League semifinal first leg at home to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt represents their last hope at ending their 17-year trophyless spell.

Manager Ange Postecoglou has repeatedly stated -- as fact more than as a prediction -- that he wins trophies in his second season at a club. If his side can make it through these two legs, then he will be one game away from making good on those words.

However, Bodo/Glimt are not the minnows they could seem. They have already beaten FC Porto, Besiktas and Lazio in this year's competition. Can they add Spurs to that list of victims?

Here's everything you need to know.

How to watch

The match will be available on TNT Sports in the UK, Paramount+ in the United States and Sony LIV in India. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details

Date: Thursday, May 1 at 8 p.m. UK (4 p.m. ET; 1.30 a.m. IST on Friday, 7 a.m. AEDT on Friday)

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Spain)

VAR: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)

Team news

Tottenham

Captain Heung-min Son will play no part in the first leg as he continues to recover from a foot injury, therefore Mathys Tel is expected to play on the left wing. Other than Radu Dragusin, who is out for the season with an ACL injury, Posetecoglou can boast a clean bill of health.

However, Antonin Kinsky, Sergio Reguilon and Timo Werner are all ineligible in the Europa League.

Bodo/Glimt

The visitors will not be able to field a fully strengthened side as they deal with a series of absences. Midfielders Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen are suspended for the first leg after picking up too many yellow cards, while striker Andreas Helmersen is out for the whole tie after being sent off in the quarterfinals.

To add salt to their wounds, starting winger Ole Blomberg and first-choice center back Odin Bjørtuft are also doubtful.

"I really hope the players are not thinking about the occasion and are able to play the game, but it is not easy. We have a journey where we want to find our identity in every game, home and away -- even against good teams.

"That is part of the plan on Thursday."

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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."