Football London

Lucas Bergvall is not part of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad for Thursday evening's Europa League semi-final clash against Bodo/Glimt. A regular in the team during the second half of the season, the Swede misses out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to an ankle injury.

Bergvall was present for training at Hotspur Way on the eve of the Europa League clash, with Son Heung-min and long-term absentee Radu Dragusin the only two players not involved with the rest of the squad. However, the youngster has unfortunately sustained an issue that rules him out of tonight's game.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Postecoglou opened up on Bergvall's injury.

"Unfortunately for Lucas, he picked up an injury in training yesterday," he revealed. "He tweaked his ankle unfortunately and misses out tonight. Disappointing for him because he's been outstanding this year and he's hugely disappointed with that and unfortunately he misses out."

The Stockholm-born ace will be a huge miss for Tottenham as he has been a driving force in midfield since becoming an established member of Postecoglou's starting XI. In his absence, the head coach has gone with a midfield comprising of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.

On Tuesday evening it was confirmed that Bergvall had put pen-to-paper on a fresh deal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Having officially joined the club on July 1 last year, the player's new deal runs until the summer of 2031.

Postecoglou was asked about the player's contract extension when speaking in his pre-match press conference and he hailed his midfielder for an impressive start to life in N17.

"Yeah hugely so and I'm delighted for Lucas," he told football.london when asked about the importance of the club building around players like Bergvall. "It's reward for his development this year, his performances and how well he has adapted.

"We've got to remember a lot of young guys who come to the Premier League maybe have a step in between whether that is playing in another league, but he has come straight from the Swedish league, a year of senior football and it's a credit to him. He's worked really hard at his game. At the beginning he was struggling to cope with the intensity and tempo, as you'd expect and we expected.

"A lot of our football and life in general is opportunity. He had an opportunity this year because of the situation we were in and he grabbed it with both hands.

"And even now, we've virtually got a full squad to pick from and he's still being selected because he took the opportunity. I think there is a core group of young players here that hopefully we can build something from."

Ange Postecoglou has named the Tottenham team that he hopes can overcome Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg.

The Norwegian side have been very strong at home this season in the competition, losing only once, and Spurs know that they need to take an advantage into next week's second leg in Bodo. The visitors this time are without a number of players through suspension and injury so Tottenham must make the most of that.

Postecoglou is without his captain Son Heung-min, who has a foot injury, and long-term absentee Radu Dragusin and has a new absentee in Lucas Bergvall.

"Unfortunately for Lucas, he picked up an injury in training yesterday. He tweaked his ankle unfortunately and misses out tonight. Disappointing for him because he's been outstanding this year and he's hugely disappointed with that and unfortunately he misses out," said Postecoglou to TNT Sports ahead of the game.

He has brought back in all the players who were rested for the defeat at Liverpool on Sunday meaning Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are in the centre of defence today with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie the full-backs.

With Bergvall's absence so Yves Bissouma steps back into midfield and Brennan Johnson starts on the right wing with Richarlison on the other side of Dominic Solanke, with Dejan Kulusevski on the bench with Mathys Tel.

On Bissouma, Postecoglou said: "I just think the balance of our midfield with what we need to do tonight and what we're facing up against. The beauty of Lucas was that he gave us the balance in there and for tonight Biss will give us more of the input we need."

On the Richarlison inclusion, the Spurs boss added: "Again I think we need to be aggressive tonight. Richy has been working his way back to fitness and he's been playing on the left quite regularly in his career. I think tonight with his experience, especially his ability in and around the box we want to put some pressure on them and he can help us in that area."

Here's the Tottenham team that Postecoglou has selected to face the Norwegian visitors:

Vicario, Pedro Porro, Romero (c), van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Richarlison. Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Spence, Davies, Danso, Gray, Sarr, Kulusevski, Moore, Odobert, Tel.

Tottenham 's Europa League semi-final first leg this evening against Bodo/Glimt will be officiated by Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez.

With qualification for next season’s Champions League via a top-five Premier League finish now off the table due to poor form, victory in the Europa League remains their only shot at silverware - and their only chance to secure a place in UEFA’s premier competition.

For Ange Postecoglou, it is also an opportunity to end what has been a bitterly disappointing campaign on a high note.

First, however, they must overcome Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt over two legs. The first match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening, followed by the return leg in Bodo next week.

"They have been pretty consistent in the last few years, obviously they have the same manager and core group of players, but definitely a distinct style of football that they have stuck to and they’ve had success with," Spurs boss Postecoglou said of tonight's opposition. "

"They’ve been pretty consistent in the Norwegian league but also in Europe and every game they’ve played, irrespective of the opposition, they’ve played some really good quality opposition in Europe and always been really competitive.

"I think that is borne from the fact they are very stable and have a clear understanding of how they play their football. It will be a good challenge for us.”

Tonight's referee Sanchez, 41, is a La Liga official and has extensive experience officiating at the top level. This season, he has taken charge of ten matches across UEFA competitions, most recently overseeing Aston Villa ’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park.

Across those ten fixtures, Sanchez has handed out 39 yellow cards, a clear warning he is not hesitant to reach for his pocket. While yellow card suspensions do not carry over beyond the quarter-finals, Spurs players will still need to be cautious to avoid unnecessary bookings or potential red cards.

Joining Sanchez on officiating duties are assistants Raul Cabanero and Inigo Prieto, with Alejandro Hernandez serving as the fourth official. On VAR duty is Carlos del Cerro Grande, assisted by Cesar Soto Grado.

To reach this stage of the competition, Postecoglou’s side finished fourth in the league phase standings. Having avoided a play-off tie, they then progressed past AZ Alkmaar and Eintracht Frankfurt in the knockout rounds, winning 5–3 on aggregate across those four matches.

So far in their European campaign, Spurs have received two red cards - one for Radu Dragusin in their opening game against Qarabag in September, and another for 20-year-old Will Lankshear on matchday four against Galatasaray.

Tottenham face their biggest game of the season thus far as they take on Bodo/Glimt in a Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday evening.

Ange Postecoglou's side have endured a very difficult campaign but they have done very well in Europe with two of their best performances of the last few months coming in previous knockout rounds against Eintracht Frankfurt and AZ Alkmaar

Bodo/Glimt are an unknown entity to most but Postecoglou knows them very well from his time at Celtic with it clear he is expecting a big challenge.

"Yeah, they have been pretty consistent the last few years, obviously same manager and core group of players, but definitely a distinct style of football that they have stuck to and they've had success with," he said at a press conference.

"They've been pretty consistent in the Norwegian league but also in Europe and every game they've played, irrespective of the opposition, they've played some really good quality opposition in Europe and always been really competitive.

"I think that is very borne from the fact they are very stable, have a clear understanding of how they play their football. It will be a good challenge for us."

With that said, it should be an enticing European clash and football.london has got all the details of how to watch it.

What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt kick-off?

Tottenham's Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt will get underway at 8pm on Thursday, May 1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Is Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt being shown live on TV?

Yes, the match will be available to watch live via TNT Sports with the broadcasters showing the clash between Spurs and the Norwegian champions.

Coverage gets underway at 7pm on TNT Sports 2 (Sky channel 411). If you are unable to watch the action, football.london will have everything covered pre-match, post-match and during the game in our live blog.

The game is also being shown worldwide through UEFA's broadcast partners, including Paramount+ in the United States of America, beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa, SuperSport in sub-Saharan Africa and ViaPlay in Europe.

How to live stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt is available to live stream in the UK due to the match being televised by TNT Sports.

Paying customers will be able to live stream the semi-final first leg online and on the mobile app.

Discovery+ are also streaming the fixture, and that can be accessed online or via their mobile app. This service will be available to paid subscribers and TNT Sports customers.

Tha match is also being streamed worldwide via UEFA's streaming partners, including the aforementioned Paramount+, beIN Sports, SuperSport and ViaPlay as well as Disney+ in Scandinavia and RTL+ in Germany.

It feels like I've written this before, but once again Tottenham Hotspur's season comes down to the next week of action.

Forget West Ham on Sunday - which seems inconceivable to say given the nature of the rivalry - because in this disastrous of all disastrous seasons for Spurs, that London derby has little consequence whatsoever.

In fact, next Thursday's trip to Norway will mean very little if Spurs do not get the job done at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.

It's Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final tonight and it means everything.

We Spurs fans have been starved of success for much of the Premier League era. Two League Cup wins are the only silverware we can look back on in the last 34 years.

As one of the so-called big six in the Premier League, that is unacceptable.

Bodo/Glimt have won the Norwegian league for the last two seasons, but they are the first team from Norway to ever reach the last four of a European competition. That is what Spurs are up against.

It should not be a tough assignment, but Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio all would have thought the same, all having fallen in Bodo/Glimt's wake.

There is no question that Tottenham will not take this lightly, after all, we're 16th in the Premier League table. The Norwegians are probably looking at it and thinking the hard work was done against Lazio and this is a far easier contest.

While things domestically have not gone to plan, particularly at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs have impressed, particularly at home, in the Europa League.

A 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the last 16 was followed up by a 1-1 draw with Frankfurt in the quarter-finals - a draw that could easily have ended in a two or three goal margin of victory for the Lilywhites.

That was possibly one of the performances of an otherwise dismal campaign and the return in Germany - a 1-0 win to see them into this stage of the competition - was a performance full of grit and determination not often seen this year.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou and the players have spoken about still being able to achieve "something special" this season and that is very much the case. Winning a trophy, any trophy, is something Spurs supporters have craved for years. It would be special, that is for sure, but it should not save the Australian from the sack.

Will it make up for the season we've had in the Premier League? Absolutely not. It's been a complete shambles. And it should end with Postecoglou being relieved of his duties.

The players need the crowd tonight, although I can almost guarantee an incredible atmosphere, despite the apathy towards the team this season. But on the flip side, the crowd need the players to step up and be counted.

After a dismal season, it all comes down to these two - hopefully three - games in Europe. The supporters deserve more, much, much more than the head coach and the players have given them this season. Tonight is the night to show it.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season rests on the Europa League. There’s no other way of putting it with a semi-final against Bodo/Glimt now just hours away.

Spurs have had a season to forget on the domestic side. They are out of all the cup competitions and sit in a lowly 16th place in the Premier League table.

A 5-1 away loss against Liverpool over the weekend was less-than-ideal preparation for Thursday night’s first leg. It was Spurs’ third Premier League defeat in a row, following losses against Wolves and Nottingham Forest the previous two weeks.

But, however disappointing the domestic campaign has been, success in the Europa League would go a long way to reducing the campaign. Winning the tournament wouldn’t just bring some much needed silverware to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it would also mean that Tottenham would be playing Champions League football next season.

That would be a big boost both financially and as well as attracting players in the summer transfer market. Concentration for the final weeks of the season will therefore be on Spurs’ European games, despite there still being four Premier League games remaining.

For Tottenham, the first of those is at the London Stadium against West Ham United on Sunday (2pm kick-off). The game sees Spurs come up against the team directly below them in the league table.

It’s hardly an ideal scenario for Ange Postecoglou in between the two legs of their semi-final vs Bodo/Glimt. It leaves the Spurs boss with a dilemma over his team selection for the game against West Ham.

In an ideal world, Postecoglou would make wholesale changes to rest players for the second leg. But, if that happens and Spurs lose, a fourth loss in a row, would see them drop down to 17th place in the Premier League table.

That is bound to increase the pressure on the Tottenham boss amid talk over his future, and not help the mood around the club., especially if that fourth loss in a row comes against the club's London rivals.

West Ham's supporters would love to beat Spurs and leave them only one place above the relegation zone. However, Spurs will also want to avoid injuries and make sure that key players are fresh for the second leg against Bodo/Glimt.

Unlike Tottenham, the Norwegian side are not in action next weekend, meaning that they have a full week to rest, recover and prepare for the second leg.

While that’s something Spurs would love, they will instead have to strike the right balance at the London Stadium, which is not always easy to do.

"No, he won't feature tomorrow night."

The first words from Ange Postecoglou's press conference ahead of Tottenham's huge UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg with Bodo/Glimt.

Those words were in response to a question about captain Son Heung-min's fitness. The Spurs skipper will miss the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having missed the previous four matches with a foot injury.

Son has missed defeats to Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in the Premier League as well as the solitary win since he has been out - the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.

His absence will leave Postecoglou with a decision to make in his front line against the Norwegian side on Thursday night. football.london takes a look at how Spurs could lineup.

Tel again

Mathys Tel is really starting to have an impact in games now he has got a run of matches under his belt, scoring in the defeat to Wolves and looking a threat

The Frenchman has started every game on the left of the front three in Son's absence and is the likely choice to get the nod again against Bodo/Glimt.

He is still looking for his first Europa League goal and his first assist in Spurs colours.

Odobert or Richarlison

Waiting in the wings are Wilson Odobert and Richarlison. Both back from injury, the duo have shown they can play off the left-hand side, although Richarlison would prefer to be through the middle.

Postecoglou could decide to go with a bit of pace in choosing Odobert, who caused AZ Alkmaar all sorts of trouble in the last 16 encounter.

Alternatively, there is the strength and hold-up play of Richarlison in a wider position.

Two strikers

Looking for goals late on against Forest, Postecoglou made the decision to go two up top, with Dominic Solanke joining Richarlison, with it being a four-pronged attack with Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel on the flanks.

It almost worked too, with the all-out attack approach seeing Richarlion head home a pinpoint Pedro Porro cross. Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski also had big chances in the match that could have delivered a point.

Spurs have hardly played two up top all season, however, and it would seem an unlikely match in which to start playing that way, even if the Australian's other system has struggled to work in a disappointing campaign.

Mathys Tel could be in line for a fifth successive start on Thursday evening when Tottenham host Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League. Son Heung-min will once again miss out due to a foot injury and that looks set to play into Tel's hands as Spurs attempt to gain an advantage going into next week's second leg in Norway.

The Frenchman has certainly not set the world alight since joining Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich but he has looked much sharper and better for an increase in pitch time of late. The 20-year-old did more than play his part in the Europa League win at Eintracht Frankfurt last time out as he contributed both in defence and attack to Spurs recording a memorable victory in Germany.

In his following game at home to Nottingham Forest, the attacker took the game to the East Midlands club and was involved in eight of his team's ten attempts on goal in the first half of the 2-1 defeat. As things stand at present, he has three goals in 14 appearances for Tottenham since joining from Bayern Munich.

However, his most important contribution to date could just be around the corner. Tottenham have six games in the campaign remaining, with a seventh added to the calendar if they reach the Europa League final, and that gives the player ample time to strengthen his case for a permanent transfer to N17.

As part of the loan agreement with Bayern, Tottenham have the option to sign the France Under-21 international for £45.7million in the summer if they so wish. Whether they do or not in the months ahead remains to be seen.

Ange Postecoglou does have plenty of options when it comes to the wide areas in his team on Thursday evening amid the absence of Son. Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Mikey Moore are all available to the head coach in addition to Tel.

Postecoglou's past four team selections would seem to suggest that the loanee will be his choice on the left. Another start for Tel will give him the chance to build on the relationship he is currently forming with James Maddison.

As Tottenham's No.10 operates on the left side of the pitch for Spurs, he has the opportunity to link up with Tel and try and influence things in the final third as they look to shoot the team to Europa League glory. Maddison was in fact in front of the media at Hotspur Way on Wednesday afternoon and he was asked about Tel's development and whether he would pay the required money to sign him permanently.

"I haven't got £45million," quipped the attacking midfielder. "He's been very good since he's come in, I think. When he first came in, we had a few injuries, so he was playing as a No.9 and he's played off the left as well.

"Direct player. He's got good feet and he's very tricky. He can definitely be someone who scores goals. Sometimes you see wide players who are goalscorers and wide players who are one-v-one specialists. The top players have both. I think he's definitely a goalscorer, he can be a threat. And I think he's done well.

"He hasn't played an awful amount but recently he's been in the team more. For myself playing from that left side of midfield in central, we've grown a little bit more of a relationship and understanding of what kind of player he is. I know Sonny, I know what Sonny's going to do there, what I expect from him. I think that's grown with Matty off the left. I think there's a real good player there."

Goals are going to prove crucial on Thursday evening and the hope will be that Tel can contribute to that as Tottenham look to seize the initiative in the first leg. Amid the question marks surrounding who he will be playing for come August, Tel may have three opportunities to write his name in Spurs folklore as the team target a Europa League triumph in Bilbao this month.

Ange Postecoglou is facing a number of Tottenham team selection calls for the Europa League semi-final first leg against Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs have endured a nightmare 2024/25 season but it could, ultimately, be looked back on as being successful if their 16-year trophy drought is ended. Having beaten AZ Alkmaar and Eintracht Frankfurt, Postecoglou's squad find themselves in the last-four of a European competition.

Bodo/Glimt, meanwhile, defeated Olympiacos and Lazio while Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United will contest the other semi-final. Owing to freezing temperatures in Norway, the Scandinavian side are at the very start of their domestic season.

Given what awaits away from home, the Lilywhites will be aiming to secure a huge lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before heading over to the arctic circle - to play on an artificial turf that Bodo/Glimt have not lost on since last November.

However, Kjetil Knutsen could be without some key players due to injury with Ole Blomberg, Daniel Bassi and Odin Bjortuft all suffering issues lately, but there is optimism some returns can occur. "We're testing them today [Wednesday], either they are ready to play or be ready to be part of the squad," he revealed at a press conference.

"If they aren't ready then someone else will play, that is football, you will have to [wait and] see." As for Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen, they are all suspended for the first leg.

Postecoglou has no players that are banned due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but club captain Son Heung-min will remain absent through injury.

Mathys Tel has impressed off the left in his absence - and will likely continue there - but Postecoglou is still facing some big decisions at full-back and on the opposite wing. Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro are vying for two spots while Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert are battling for one.

While the final decision won't be confirmed until around 7pm this evening, some of those selections have been hinted at by the club on social media.

In their pre-match graphic, posted to both X and Instagram, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie are all pictured. The latter's inclusion suggests he will be at left-back, while Pedro Porro - rested against Liverpool - will be deployed at right-back.

Maddison and Kulusevski being included also hints the Swede will be on the right while Maddison pulls the strings in midfield likely in front of Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur.

It is hardly confirmation of those big calls but that structure and personnel does seem to be the strongest set-up Postecoglou can put out with the likes of Spence, Odobert and Johnson on the subs bench.

Tottenham go into tonight's huge UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg clash with Bodo/Glimt grateful that a number of players are not walking a suspension tightrope.

It is a massive game in Tottenham's campaign and history as they face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.

With the Lilywhites in 16th place in the Premier League, the Europa League is the only thing that can save the season now and potentially Ange Postecoglou's job with the north Londoners.

The Australian has been under increasing pressure in N17 given Spurs' horrific domestic form and there are reports he could be sacked even if he does win the Europa League later this month.

Apart from captain Son Heung-min, Postecoglou should have a pretty strong squad from which to choose in the first leg, and that has been helped by a lack of suspensions going into the semi-final double header.

Under UEFA rules, Article 52.04 states: "All yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals."

That means that all yellow cards were wiped out at the conclusion of the Eintracht Frankfurt quarter-final. Spurs had headed into the second leg with the German side with three players on a tightrope, having already picked up two bookings.

Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall had been shown two yellows in the competition, but avoided being shown a third during the second leg clash with Frankfurt, therefore avoiding a suspension for this semi-final first leg clash.

The UEFA rule also helped out Rodrigo Bentancur.

While in the Premier League suspensions happen at the five, ten and 15 mark for yellow cards, in European competitions they happen at the three, five and seven mark. Receiving three yellow cards typically results in a one-match suspension.

Bentancur has already served a ban in the Europa League this season after picking up three cautions and he picked up a fourth during the quarter-final second leg against Frankfurt.

Those four have now been wiped out, however and he is not in any danger of a ban for a fifth yellow card. The only way players can be banned now is for being sent off in one of the encounters.