Tottenham closed in on a spot within the Europa League remaining after Brennan Johnson struck simply 38 seconds into their 3-1 win towards Norwegian facet Bodo/Glimt on Thursday. Johnson’s quick-fire opener was adopted by James Maddison’s strike earlier than the interval within the semi-final first leg on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Dominic Solanke’s second-half penalty ought to have been the top of the tie. But a late objective from Ulrik Saltnes ensured the second leg on May 8 will probably be a nervous event for beleaguered Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou may also must sweat on the health of Solanke and Maddison after each limped off with accidents.
If Tottenham can get the job completed in Norway, they’ll face Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao within the remaining on May 21, with the match winners qualifying for the Champions League subsequent season.
United are heading in the right direction for the ultimate after profitable 3-0 in Bilbao within the first leg.
An all-Premier League conflict within the remaining would current an interesting duel between two golf equipment enduring depressing home campaigns.
Languishing in sixteenth place within the Premier League, Tottenham’s woeful 5-1 thrashing at Liverpool on Sunday was a membership record-equalling nineteenth defeat within the high flight this season.
They haven’t suffered so many losses in a Premier League marketing campaign since 2004.
Despite their abysmal top-flight kind, Tottenham ought to attain their first European remaining for the reason that 2019 Champions League as they bid to finish a 17-year trophy drought.
Tottenham, whose final trophy was the League Cup, have not received a significant European prize since lifting the UEFA Cup in 1984.
Postecoglou believes the “basic sentiment” round soccer is he will probably be sacked even when he wins the Europa League to fulfil his boast that he all the time lifts a trophy in his second season.
The verdict just isn’t but in on Postecoglou, however this was an essential second in his bid to avoid wasting his job.
An unheralded group from a tiny city north of the Arctic Circle, Bodo/Glimt’s fairytale run just isn’t over simply but, however they’ve an enormous activity within the second leg.
They are the primary Norwegian group to play within the semi-finals of a significant European competitors.
– Maddison stars –
It was a shocking achievement for a facet from a fishing city with a inhabitants of barely 50,000.
Postecoglou had no intention of underestimating Bodo/Glimt after shedding towards them as Celtic boss within the 2021-22 UEFA Conference League.
Bodo/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen was in cost for that shock win and had masterminded an much more spectacular run this season, taking the underdogs previous Lazio within the quarter-finals and Olympiakos within the final 16.
However, Postecoglou’s determination to recall Richarlison paid immediate dividends as Tottenham took the lead within the first minute.
Pedro Porro’s cross reached Richarlison contained in the Bodo/Glimt space and the Brazilian cleverly headed throughout to the unmarked Johnson, who nodded house from shut vary.
Johnson’s seventeenth objective in all competitions this season was the quickest scored within the Europa League this season.
Maddison admitted this week that Tottenham’s dismal show at Liverpool was “embarrassing”, however the midfielder insisted the group nonetheless backed their boss.
And he did his bit to assist Postecoglou’s trigger within the thirty fourth minute.
Porro’s excellent lengthy cross dropped into Maddison’s path on the sting of the realm and he took a contact earlier than drilling a tremendous end previous Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikita Haikin.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s blistering drive was brilliantly pushed over by Haikin moments later.
Tottenham struck once more within the 61st minute when Fredrik Sjovold’s rash problem on Cristian Romero was dominated a penalty after VAR intervened.Â
Solanke stepped as much as ship Haikin the incorrect means from the spot.
But in typical Tottenham style, they faltered within the 83rd minute.
Bodo/Glimt’s solely shot heading in the right direction climaxed with Saltnes being gifted an excessive amount of area for a strike that deflected in off Bentancur to provide the Norwegians a lifeline.
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