Tottenham closed a place in the Europa League final after Brennan Johnson hit only 38 seconds after their 3-1 victory against the Norwegian team Bodo / Glimt on Thursday. Johnson’s fast opener was followed by James Maddison’s strike before the interval in the semi-finals at the first stage of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Dominic Solanke’s penalty in the second half should have been the end of the tie. But a late goal by Ulrik Saltnes made sure that the second stage on May 8 will be a nervous opportunity for the pattern of Tottenham besieged Angel Postocoglou.
Postcoglou will also have to sweat on the physical form of Solanke and Maddison after the two lame of injuries.
If Tottenham can do the job in Norway, they will face Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the final on May 21, the tournament winners qualifying for the Champions League next season.
United is on the right track for the final after winning 3-0 in Bilbao in the first leg.
A confrontation of the league entirely first in the final would present a fascinating duel between two clubs enduring the miserable national campaigns.
Languant in 16th place in the Premier League, the terrible bat of Tottenham 5-1 in Liverpool on Sunday was a 19th record defeat of the club in the elite this season.
They have not suffered as many defeats during a Premier League campaign since 2004.
Despite their high -flying form, Tottenham should reach its first European final since the 2019 Champions League when they tried to end a 17 -year -old trophy drought.
Tottenham, the last trophy of which was the League Cup, has not won a major European price since the UEFA cup rising in 1984.
Postcoglou believes that the “general feeling” around football is that he will be dismissed even if he wins the Europa League to make his boastful that he is still raising a trophy in his second season.
The verdict is not yet in PostCoglou, but it was an important moment in his attempt to save his work.
An undeniable team of a small town north of the Arctic circle, the Bodo / Glimt fairy tale race is not yet finished, but they have a huge task in the second stage.
They are the first Norwegian team to play in the semi-finals of a major European competition.
– Maddison Stars –
It was an amazing achievement for a team from a fisherman’s city with a population barely 50,000.
PostCoglou had no intention of underestimating Bodo / Glimt after losing against them as Celtic boss in the UEFA conference league 2021-22.
Bodo / Glimt coach Kjetil Kutsen was in charge for this shock victory and organized an even more impressive race this season, passing the outsiders after Lazio in the quarter -final and Olympiakos in the last 16.
However, PostCoglou’s decision recalls that Richarlison paid instant dividends while Tottenham took the lead in the first minute.
The Pedro Porro Cross reached Richarlison inside the Bodo / Glimt region and the Brazilian intelligently headed for the unmarked Johnson, which nodded at close range.
Johnson’s 17th goal this season has been the fastest scored in the Europa League this season.
Maddison admitted this week that Tottenham’s lamentable display in Liverpool was “embarrassing”, but the midfielder insisted that the team still supported his boss.
And he did his part to help the cause of the postcoglou in the 34th minute.
The superb long porro pass fell on the path of Maddison on the edge of the area and he took a touch before forming a nice finish in front of the goalkeeper Bodo / Glimt Nikita Haikin.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s dazzling disc was brilliantly pushed by Haikin a few moments later.
Tottenham again struck in the 61st minute when the reckless challenge of Fredrik Sjovold on Cristian Romero was considered a penalty after Var’s intervention.
Solanke intensified to send Haikin in the wrong direction of the place.
But in fashion typical of Tottenham, they weakened in the 83rd minute.
The only Bodo / Glimt shot on Target culminated with Saltnes offered too much space for a strike that diverted Bentancur to give the Norwegians a lifeline.
SMG / NF
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is generated automatically from a unionized flow.)
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