Tottenham Hotspur produced a strong performance to beat Bodo/Glimt in the second leg and book a Europa League final spot
Going into the second leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night with a 3-1 lead, Tottenham Hotspur knew that they had to avoid defeat to go through to the final.
After a shaky first period, Ange Postecoglou’s men picked up the ante in the second half and won 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate. Dominic Solanke pounced to tap in a Cristian Romero header from a corner kick in the 63rd minute, and Pedro Porro’s cross-shot went in off the far post six minutes later to seal the deal for Spurs in Norway and book a spot in the final at San Mames.
Tottenham legend Graham Roberts praised one player in particular as he delivered a message for the Lilywhites’ squad in wake of their fantastic victory. Taking to X after the game, he hailed Spurs’ performance as “absolutely incredible”. The 1983-84 UEFA Cup winner then lauded the whole defence, name-checking Cristian Romero for his authoritative performance, as well as praising the full-backs.
“Absolutely incredible boys. Romero and the whole defence the two full backs so proud of the team and manager tonight. We are going to the final COYS. My eyes have seen the Glory. Let’s make some history again!” Roberts wrote on his X account.
Pressure was mounting on Ange Postecoglou going into the second leg, but his boys sealed the tie with a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win. Despite the speculation and outside noise, Tottenham put in a professional display in the Arctic Circle. They showed defensive resilience and discipline, combining with offensive prowess on the night, to seal a berth in the sixth European final in the club’s history.
Indeed, Cristian Romero was excellent, and so were his fellow defenders, limiting the Bodo/Glimt players to very few chances. The Argentine, being the leader of the defence, marshalled his troops well and helped Spurs keep a valuable clean sheet on the road.
Full-backs, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, too, were solid and did what was asked of them. Porro demonstrated the offensive side of his game, scoring a freak goal to mix with his strong defensive display. The clean sheet topped a great night for the North Londoners in Norway, illustrating that Ange’s team can dig deep and defend well when required.
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With Manchester United beating Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in their respective semi-final, the all-English final in Spain later this month promises to be a cracking affair.