Football London

James Maddison is a doubt for Tottenham's visit to West Ham on Sunday and Lucas Bergvall is set to miss the rest of the season. Maddison was taken off in the second half of Thursday night's 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg in north London whereas Bergvall was not able to play at all.

Ange Postecoglou played down the severity of Maddison's knock after the match, admitting that it was mainly out of precaution after Maddison "felt a tweak in his knee" during the second half. Both he and Dominic Solanke were substituted in the last 25 minutes.

Spurs had already worked themselves into a strong position to advance to the final in Bilbao later this month after Brennan Johnson's opener 40 seconds in. Maddison doubled the lead on 34 minutes, taking down a long ball from Pedro Porro before finishing cooly.

Solanke converted his penalty on the hour mark but Ulrik Saltnes gave the Norwegian underdogs hope of an unlikely comeback next week with his late goal to cut the deficit. Tottenham travel to Bodo in five days time but first have to face West Ham.

Speaking ahead of the game, Postecoglou gave an update on Maddison and the fitness of his squad after Richarlison was substituted at half-time as well. "Lucas obviously looks like the injury is probably significant to keep him out for the remainder of the season," he said.

"Dom's not too bad, obviously a doubt for the weekend. Madders is a bit more of a concern as it's a knee, we've sent him for a scan."

Son Heung-Min is in contention for the away trip to Bodo but will not play this weekend. "Sonny is still working hard, he's out on the grass and we'll see if he's available for Thursday," said the Tottenham coach.

Bergvall had been ruled out prior to the Bodo game with an ankle problem. He was seen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches.

"It's too early to assess," Postecoglou had said after the match. "You know, it's just the way our season's gone on unfortunately, it's just hugely disappointing for Lucas, he was obviously really excited."

Bergvall trained before the game on Wednesday. "He had a big week, re-signing with the club and he's had such a great year for us. Like I said, it's just the way our season's gone, where in training something innocuous like that ends up with him hurting his ankle. We'll just assess over the next few days, let it settle down and we'll find the extent of it."

Bergvall signed a new contract at Spurs earlier this week, keeping himself at the club until 2031. He has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dismal season.

Meanwhile, Radu Dragusin is still sidelined. Tottenham know that they could fall to 17th with defeat at the London Stadium on Sunday. West Ham are winless in their last seven games but could climb above Spurs. Three points for Postecoglou's side could put them up to 14th.

And so the most meme'd Europa League final of all time really is on the cards. There have been many barriers on the way but both Tottenham and Manchester United look likely to meet in Bilbao at the end of the month.

The two Premier League embarrassments, who have been the best recent examples of systemic woeful inefficiency and incompetence, are 90 minutes from a head-to-head shootout with rewards greater than the Europa League trophy itself. The winner, presuming Spurs don't throw away a two-goal lead at European underdogs Bodo/Glimt next week and United hold on to their own 3-0 advantage at home against a now-bruised Athletic Club side, will be in next season's Champions League. Somehow.

For Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou has insisted that despite historic lows in the Premier League for almost all of this campaign, lifting the Europa League would constitute success. The extent to which this is true - and whether or not it should, could, or would save his job - is another conversation entirely.

What is clear now, after goals from Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke, is Tottenham are two games away from being in the Champions League despite being on course to finish one place above the relegation zone. There is a lot of Wigan 2013 about this - when they won the FA Cup but got relegated - except Roberto Martinez did not have a squad consisting of hundreds of millions of pounds worth of players or the commercial revenue of a small country.

Qualification for the Champions League - and the obvious esteem as well as financial gain which comes with it - is the only thing that has kept many of a Spurs association going this season. The midweek jeopardy has mattered, whereby domestic hopes disappeared long ago.

Such is this, Tottenham have won more times in Europe in 2025 than they have in the Premier League. Add in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg victory over Liverpool and it is 5-5 between Europa League and domestic competitions. It's damning and unacceptable regardless of injuries but has nevertheless put Postecoglou on the brink of achieving what he always does - a second season trophy.

Seeing him lift silverware after parading his CV throughout much of the past nine months would be vindication for some, not least himself. Having not won a trophy since 2008, even the most ardent Postecoglou Out fans would have trouble caring that much in the moment as other ghosts are banished.

But there is a deeper question here. Tottenham ended up fifth last season and had to make do with the Europa League, a tough one to take after being top 10 games in. They have drowned ever since with form continuing to nose dive and actually get worse since November 2023.

Granted the chance to get into the Champions League via an extra place this season, Tottenham have fallen off a cliff and quite realistically might not reach the previously established 40-point mark for Premier League survival. They have lost four of their last five games and 19 all season. They do have a positive goal difference, one that is 25 better than West Ham in 17th and 13 ahead of Everton, one spot above them. Brentford (+8) are the next best and sit 11th. Tottenham's goal difference is more than Brighton (ninth), Fulham (eighth), and Aston Villa (sixth).

They are safe from relegation because of the horrendous quality of the promoted teams. Is this the sort of team that deserves to be in the Champions League?

The same can be said for United, who have spent far more than Tottenham and exhibited even greater levels of ineptitude over a much longer period of time. They sacked Erik ten Hag in October and got worse. United have actually dragged themselves through the Europa League whereas Tottenham have mostly been solid enough, save for the away defeat to AZ Alkmaar.

These two financial behemoths are exceptions in the Europa League even with plenty of established clubs - Porto, Fenerbahce, Roma, Real Sociedad, and Ajax among others - also competing. Their pathway to what looks like a final is not a grand victory.

Winning a European trophy is never to be sniffed at but the fact it would come in such a torrid season for both teams means it is still to be looked at with a sense of shame. How did it ever come to this? Prioritising the second-rate European competition because Premier League safety was assured. This isn't against the odds stuff, it is making a mockery of them in a bad way and then getting to the end point in spite of logic. Just because two teams finding themselves at the bottom of their league are this close to a final is not a heroic story but a damning one. It should be a time for reflection.

Both fanbases have every right to enjoy the moment and to revel in reaching Bilbao as and when (rather than if) it happens. They have had to put up with mountains of unacceptable performances throughout this forgettable year. They have been treated poorly and unrest is fully justified.

In a way, they will feel that their loyalty has earned this end-of-season chance in a manner that the team has not. But still, it is not a surprise to see conversations across the continent turning.

Giant names like Tottenham and Manchester United or not, the teams 14th and 16th in the Premier League could have a place in the Champions League. Is this really what the rules are made for?

Some will argue that having won a trophy to qualify, would one of these two not be more of a champion - especially in the knockout definition - than, say, Arsenal in second in the Premier League? Certainly, when fifth qualifies, does the actual winner of another competition not warrant a spot at the top table rather than the Premier League's third or fourth best team after a dog-fight and scramble to not be the worst in a mini-league? The current landscape allows for both, it is just not often that those struggling so much in one competition can win another like this.

That is certainly a strong argument. Tottenham, after all, have fallen foul to being pushed down the European ladder before. They finished fourth in 2012 only to find themselves in the Europa League when Chelsea (sixth that season) won the Champions League and took the place of their London rivals.

UEFA rightly changed the rule after this. Such is the competitiveness of the league now and the expanded format, there was a way that seven Premier League teams could be in the Champions League next season with nine in Europe if all domestic cup permutations and league finish demands were met.

That is ridiculous, even if it was never going to happen. Surely, in this debate, a team like Tottenham, who might win the Europa League, has done more to get a place than those essentially lucking out due to extraordinary circumstances? Or does league finish hold more weight as it is over 38 games rather than 15 (or 17/19 depending on play-offs and qualifying rounds)? Maybe this is just sport and the rough needs to be taken with the smooth.

Regardless of domestic form, which cannot be taken into account by UEFA, and rightly so - what a can of worms that would open up - Tottenham and United have had a way to enter the Champions League through the back door and they are on the verge of entering it. By hook or by crook, that is how this works.

It was the case at the start of the season when they would have hoped for a top four/five fight themselves and was also true last year when they were in the mix. It has been the case for a while now and legislation is not going to change just because two teams have collapsed in the Premier League. It would be unfair to add in extra parameters which say 'Europa League winners will not go into the Champions League unless they finish 10th or above in their domestic league.'

Tottenham and United are fortunate to have this route and many will understandably say they do not deserve it based on other factors. That may well be true but it does not change the reality. The records will (second leg shock notwithstanding) show that one of the two worst Premier League sides are in the Champions League next season.

It is set to be the final people wanted, just to see how chaotic things get and what the aftermath of losing will be for one side. The other will come out as a survivor just as much as the victor. It is a tantalising prospect and one we may not see like this again.

Ange Postecoglou is holding his latest press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's Premier League match at West Ham on Sunday.

There is little time for Spurs to soak up their Europa League semi-final first leg victory against Bodo/Glimt for a derby awaits on Sunday afternoon at the London Stadium in the Premier League as both sides look to avoid the ignominy of finishing 17th in the table this season.

Postecoglou is expected to make changes galore to his starting XI for the trip to Stratford this weekend as he seeks to rest and recover players ahead of the crucial second leg of their European semi-final in Norway on Thursday night.

The Spurs boss will provide the latest information on the injuries to James Maddison and Dominic Solanke picked up in the 3-1 win on Thursday night as well as any further updates on Lucas Bergvall's ankle and captain Son Heung-min's foot. The Australian could also give some indication as to what players will line up against the Hammers for the basement battle of a London derby.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

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.