Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Tottenham Hotspur head to Norway with a narrow advantage as they take on Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion in Thursday’s Europa League semifinal second leg.
Spurs claimed a 3-1 win in the first leg in North London, and the aggregate victors will progress to the final, where either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao await.
Bodo/Glimt
Regardless of Thursday’s result, Bodo/Glimt have already made history as the first Norwegian club to reach the semi-finals of a major European tournament.
With a full week of rest and preparation behind them, Superlaget are targeting a first-ever win over English opposition, having lost all four previous encounters, including a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in the 2022/23 Europa League.
Since the start of that same season, Bodo/Glimt have lost seven of 11 away games in the competition – only Roma have more defeats in that span – while their 9% win rate is the lowest among teams with eight or more away matches. However, their home form tells a different story.
They have won five straight Europa League home games, netting 15 goals, and famously beat group leaders Lazio 2-0 in the second leg of their quarter-final before progressing via penalties.
Bodo/Glimt are on an eight-match winning run at home across all competitions, including back-to-back 3-0 wins in the new Eliteserien campaign, and coach Kjetil Knutsen has urged his side to “go for it” on Thursday to try and earn a place in the final.
Team News
Daniel Bassi remains out with a leg injury, but captain Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen all return from suspension.
Berg and Evjen are expected to start in midfield with Ulrik Saltnes, replacing Jens Petter Hauge and Sondre Brunstad Fet, while Helmersen will likely back up Kasper Hogh, who is t-top of the Europa League scoring charts with seven goals.
Knutsen may decide whether to keep Isak Dybvik Maatta on the right or push Hauge into the front three with Hogh and Ole Didrik Blomberg. The back four of Fredrik Sjovold, Villads Nielsen, Jostein Gundersen and Fredrik Bjorkan should remain unchanged.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham seized early control of their semifinal tie with Bodo/Glimt as Brennan Johnson struck inside the opening minute of the first leg, before further goals from James Maddison and Dominic Solanke built a commanding 3-0 advantage within the hour mark. However, Ulrik Saltnes’ late effort handed the Norwegian champions a lifeline heading into Thursday’s second leg.
While Spurs are within touching distance of a first major final in 17 years, head coach Ange Postecoglou remains frustrated by the “negative narrative” surrounding a club enduring a dismal domestic campaign. Sitting 16th in the Premier League with just two wins in their last 10 matches in all competitions (D1 L7), Spurs have become exclusively reliant on Europa League success as a route into next season’s Champions League.
Their record away from home has been poor, but a 1-0 quarter-final second-leg win at Eintracht Frankfurt offers some encouragement. Spurs will also take confidence from their flawless record against Norwegian opposition, now three wins from three, and the fact that 83 of the 92 Europa League teams who have led by two or more goals after a home first leg since 2009/10 have progressed.
Team News
Maddison, forced off with a knee injury in the first leg, Radu Dragusin (ACL), and Lucas Bergvall (ankle) are all out, while doubts remain over Solanke (thigh) and Son Heung-min (foot). If neither is ed fit, Richarlison and Johnson could be ed by either Mathys Tel or Wilson Odobert – who scored in a 1-1 draw away to West Ham on Sunday – in attack.
Dejan Kulusevski is expected to assume playmaking duties in Maddison’s absence, partnering Rodrigo Bentancur and either Yves Bissouma or Pape Matar Sarr in midfield. The back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie, which began the first leg, should be reinstated.
Conclusion
Bodo/Glimt’s formidable home form offers them hope heading into the second leg, especially against a Tottenham side that has managed just one clean sheet in their last 15 outings. The Norwegian champions will believe they can at least trouble the scoresheet once again, particularly with the return of key players like Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen.
That said, while a dramatic comeback can’t be entirely discounted, overturning a two-goal deficit against even an inconsistent Spurs outfit might prove too great a task. Tottenham may endure some nervy spells in Norway, but their superior quality and first-leg cushion should ultimately carry them through to the Europa League final.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: ZetBet
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