Jacob Steinberg was our friend in the north. Here’s his report. Congratulations to Spurs, commiserations to Bodø/Glimt. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Ange Postecoglou talks to TNT Sports. “Couldn’t be prouder of the lads … we knew it was a difficult place to come … their record … the pitch … the lads handled it really well … fully deserved to get through … we’re excited, were in a final … we’ve grown in maturity through this competition … the lads understand what’s required … focused … clear minds … we’ve used every player in the squad … we’re used to dealing with adversity … they’ve handled all three knockout ties well … you understand the context of what this club has been trying to achieve for a while … managers and players come and go but one constant is the supporters … it was just great to see the smiles on their faces … we’ve given them some hope, something to dream about … hopefully we can do something special … we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”
Dominic Solanke, all mellow smiles, speaks to TNT. “Aw it’s so good, man! … it’s been a long season … we’re down to the business end … one more game to go … hopefully we can do it … we knew it was going to be a difficult game … we had to play disciplined … it took a while but when we got the first goal, it was good to see it out from there … hopefully the same fans can make it to Bilbao … it will be a special day.”
A thrilled Pedro Porro adds: “I’m very happy for the team and these fans … it’s been too long … this team deserves this … I’ll be honest [he laughs infectiously] … I crossed … but it’s goal … the clean sheet is the most important … a clean sheet and we were in the final.”
The goalscoring heroes embrace gleefully, then Porro races off to punch the sky in front of the travelling support. Lovely scenes.
Tottenham reel around in celebration. They’re one win away from their first trophy in 17 years (the 2008 League Cup) and their first European pot in 41 (the 1984 Uefa Cup)! But that’s a consideration for another day. For now, it’s time to celebrate. Big Ange raises two fists in triumph. His players wheel off towards their support. It’s party time! Who cares if the rain’s coming down in stair-rods?! A good portion of the Bodø fans stay to watch the celebrations, too, which is a nice touch. It’s been an appalling season for Spurs on the whole, but suddenly things look so much brighter. Their place in the final thoroughly deserved after a pair of staunch, calm and professional away performances (worth reading that again) in Frankfurt and now the Arctic Circle!
FULL TIME: Bodø/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (agg 1-5)
Spurs will play Manchester United in Bilbao in two weeks’ time! Ange Postecoglou says he always wins a trophy in his second season. Well, he’s one match away from keeping his promise!
VAR: Penalty overturned
90 min +5: … but there’s no contact, Sørli having gone over under his own steam. VAR gets involved, and Spurs will have their clean sheet!
Penalty for Bodø/Glimt!
90 min +4: A consolation coming up for Bodø? Sørli chases a pass down the middle and looks to have been clipped by Romero, who looks dumbfounded.
90 min +3: Ange Postecoglou embraces his opposite number Kjetil Knutsen, with a view to celebrating at the final whistle.
90 min +2: The first couple of three additional minutes flies/drags by, depending on your perspective. The Bodø fans staying to the end, to their great credit.
90 min: It’ll be the third all-England final after the 1972 Uefa Cup final (Spurs beating Wolves 3-2 on aggregate) and the 2019 Europa League showdown (Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal). They’ve gone well from a Tottenham point of view so far.
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88 min: Sørli sends a swirler goalwards, but Vicario is behind the shot all the way. Meanwhile Manchester United have gone 3-1 up over Athletic Club, thanks to a quick one-two from Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund. That all-English final really is on, and in some style from both Premier League clubs too.
86 min: Määttä thinks he’s got a little bit of space down the left, but Romero comes across to put a stop with his gallop thanks to a well-timed tackle. Then the Spurs captain clears the resulting corner. He celebrates with Porro and Van de Ven. He wants that clean sheet.
85 min: Sjøvold dinks a cute cross in from the right, but nobody in yellow has the heart to battle for it any more. Spurs clear with ease.
84 min: Määttä comes on for Hauge. “If Spurs end up winning the Europa League, I think we’ll have a contender for the most ridiculous club season of all time,” opines Kári Tulinius. “The only comparable example I can think of would be when Inter escaped relegation from Serie A by one point and yet won the UefaCup in 1994. But that’s Inter, and you sort of expect something crazy like that from them. This would be Tottenham. Tottenham!”
82 min: If both teams could declare now, you can be sure they would.
80 min: It’s the quietest Aspmyra has been all night. All campaign. It’s been a brave run by the Norwegian champions, but Spurs have proved one hurdle too many.
78 min: The Spurs fans are en fête. Everyone else in the stadium, not so much. This match is understandably petering out.
76 min: Bodø have been extremely jittery at the back tonight. Yet another poor backpass, this time by Sjøvold, nearly lets Solanke in. Haikin races from his line to skelp clear.
74 min: Romero goes down requiring some treatment, having been clattered by Hauge. He’ll be OK, and the clock ticks on.
73 min: Meanwhile at Old Trafford, Manchester United have equalised against Athletic Bilbao. It’s going to be an all-English final!
71 min: Bodø, the jig up, replace Saltnes and Moe with Nielsen and Auklend.
GOAL! Bodø/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Porro 69); agg 1-5
Tel and Udogie combine at pace down the left. The ball’s switched towards Porro on the right flank. Porro crosses deep … and the ball loops over Haikin, off the top of the left-hand post, and in! It’s an outrageous fluke – of course it was a cross, not a shot – but nobody cares! Not a jot! Not least Porro, who is delighted. Spurs on the way to Bilbao!
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68 min: Johnson can’t continue, and Sarr comes on in his stead. Johnson is limping a bit, but looks cheery enough, so hopefully that’s nothing serious ahead of the final.
67 min: Johnson goes down, requiring some treatment. That delays a Spurs change. “It’s weird to watch this Spurs team play a composed and disciplined game,” writes Evan Crocker. “It mostly makes me go: where the hell has this been all season?”
65 min: That’s sucked a lot of the air from the Aspmyra, though the travelling Spurs fans are making one hell of a racket now. Bodø coach Kjetil Knutsen already with the thousand-yard stare.
GOAL! Bodø/Glimt 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Solakne 63); agg 1-4
Porro hits the corner long from the left. Romero wins a towering header at the far stick. The ball drops to Solanke, who stabs home from six yards! Solanke celebrates wildly, and Spurs edge ever closer to the final!
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63 min: Haikin once more fails to deal with a backpass and it’s another gift of a corner. And from that …
62 min: Kulusevski tries to spin Moe down the left but can’t complete the turn.
61 min: Spurs respond by replacing Richarlison with Tel.
60 min: Bentancur slices a long-distance effort over the bar. That allows Bodo to make a double change, Høgh and Blomberg making way for Helmersen and Sørli.
58 min: Yes, is nearly the answer, as Bjorkan curls from the left and nearly finds Hogh, six yards out. Bissouma gets back and puts himself in the way, just in time.
57 min: Space for Richarlison down the left. He’s got options in the middle but takes an age to work out what to do, and eventually clatters the ball into the nearest defender. Very poor, again. Will Spurs regret this?
56 min: Moe’s ball out for the back is appalling, snaffled by Kulusevski, who has a simple ball on down the inside-left to release Richarlison into the box. But the pass is underhit, and Bodo swarm Richarlison. The move eventually fizzles out when Van de Ven shanks a left-wing cross deep into the stand behind the goal. On the touchline, Ange Postecoglou throws his arms wide in despair and irritation. A great chance to put this tie to bed carelessly squandered.
54 min: Nothing comes of the corner, but Spurs are now 60 seconds closer to their aim.
53 min: Solanke wins another corner down the left. Porro again to take. His delivery forces Hogh to head over his own bar for another. Porro trots over to the other flank to take the second corner. The fans again not happy about the time being taken over this.
51 min: Hague again down the left. His cross causes momentary confusion in the Spurs six-yard box, but Van de Ven and Udogie combine to flick away the danger with Berg and Hogh lurking.
50 min: Hauge has been one of Bodo’s livelier players this evening. He tries to one-two with Sjovold down the left. It nearly comes off, but Bentancur is wise to what’s unfolding and comes across to block and clear.
48 min: Darkness has finally fallen in Northern Norway. The crowd significantly quieter than they were during the early exchanges, too. Spurs doing a fine job up to this point.
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47 min: Solanke’s turn to advance down the left. Upon entering the box, he’s not able to get a cross away, but winning a corner is second prize. Porro to take. Solanke competes for a header, but only manages to fall over. Bodo clear their lines.
46 min: A bit of space for Richarlison down the left. A bit, but not much. He slices his cross out for a goal kick. Haikin certainly doesn’t waste any time over the restart.
… but it’s a false start. Spurs kick off again.
Spurs get the second half started. No changes.
Half-time postbag. “If I managed a club, especially a rich one like Arsenal,” begins Zach Neeley, having read the half-time entertainment, “I’d have them make me a fake press room in between the real one and the locker room so I could go rant about the injustice! How good my guys played! Other emotion processing nonsense! So I’d be at peace by the time I said the things written down forever and heard by millions.”
You want to get yourself down to the patent office quicksmart, Zach, for this is a doozy. Nearly as good as my idea for soundproofed primal-scream-therapy pods to be placed around golf courses. I’ve not managed to get the paperwork sorted for that yet either.
In the other semi-final, Athletic Bilbao have taken a 1-0 lead into half-time at Old Trafford. They’re still two goals shy of embarrassing their hosts, though, and as things stand, it’s going to be Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United at San Mamés in two weeks’ time.
Half-time entertainment. Aka: North London Schadenfreude Corner.
HALF TIME: Bodø/Glimt 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur (agg 1-3)
Bodø keeper Haikin has had one save to make; his opposite number Vicario the same. Spurs will take this. Same again, and they’ll be heading to Bilbao!
45 min +1: Well, nearly. Porro’s delivery from the right is only half cleared. The ball drops to Bissouma, who slides high and wide in the wild manner. Half a chance.
45 min: Haikin makes a meal of a simple backpass, failing to trap on the edge of his area, and instead turning and kicking the ball out for a corner. This is a huge gift. Can Spurs take advantage?
43 min: Porro latches onto a loose ball on the halfway line and romps off down the inside right. He’s the only Spurs man in attack, though. He does well to hold the ball up before crossing long for Richarlison, who can’t do anything from his position just inside the box. Spurs not committing too many folk to that counter attack. No gung-ho tactics tonight.
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41 min: … and he fails to beat the first man. Bodo counter, but Spurs intercept. However Bissouma clanks a clearance straight to Berg in the centre circle. Berg spots Vicario miles off his line, and goes for goal, from just inside his own half. But he doesn’t catch it properly, much to Tottenham’s collective relief.
40 min: Richarlison busies himself down the left, his press causing some panic in the Bodo back line, leading to a corner. Porro to take.
39 min: Hauge pops up on the right this time, and tries to release Blomberg down the flank, only to hoick the ball straight out of play for a goal kick. Vicario takes his time over the restart again, and the referee performs the internationally-recognised mime for Once More And You’re In The Book Sonny Jim.
37 min: The hosts are getting on top, albeit slowly and not particularly dangerously. Hauge again makes good down the left but mishits his low cross, which Porro is able to clear. Spurs want to watch this, because the momentum is shifting.
35 min: A bit of space for Hauge out on the left. He slings a gorgeous outswinging cross into the Spurs box, Hogh finding space between the two centre backs. But he misjudges the flight, and spinning around in confusion, can’t keep his header down. Goal kick. That was a decent half-chance.
33 min: The hosts are beginning to put a few moves together, and seeing more of the ball. Johnson, frustrated as a result, is booked for a clumsy late slide on Hauge.
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31 min: Berg whips towards the far post. Vicario has to palm out for a corner, under pressure from three yellow shirts. The set piece is sent long from the left, and Gundersen wins a header, though not with any great conviction. Spurs clear.
30 min: Blomberg tries to release Sjovold down the right. Bentancur races back to intercept and clear. But the hosts come again down the same flank, Blomberg dropping a shoulder and forcing Udogie to bring him down, just to the right of the Spurs box. A free kick that will concern Spurs here.
28 min: This has been a really calm, professional performance from Spurs so far. No wonder Høgh – along with quite a few of the home fans – are showing some frustration. “Purely from a financial perspective, Spurs cannot a-fjord to lose today.” Peter Øh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the reindeer.
26 min: Now it’s Hogh’s turn to be frustrated, penalised for shoving Van de Ven in the back. He flings the ball away, unhappy with the decision, and goes into the book.
25 min: Van de Ven bursts clear down the left, but is penalised for dragging back his opponent Blomberg. He’s not happy but the decision seems fair enough.
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23 min: Porro curls over the wall and towards the top-left corner. Haikin palms over the bar, a fine save, especially as the free kick took a small nick off a Bodo defender. Porro trots out to the left to take the corner, flashing it through the box. Johnson can’t get anything on it, six yards out. Shame for Spurs, because an eyebrow would have been enough to steer that into the goal.
22 min: No Maddison, of course, so Porro looks like the chosen one for this free kick. Kulusevski hovering about too, though.
21 min: Spurs will be more than happy with their start. Even happier now Solanke has just been bundled over by Berg, just outside the Bodo D. A free kick in a very dangerous position.
19 min: More impatient abuse for Vicario as he prepares to take a goal kick. To be fair to the Spurs keeper, a new ball was rolled onto the pitch the nanosecond the previous one in play had rolled over the byline. Give the man a chance! Bodo clearly want to keep up a high tempo. Spurs aren’t quite so fussed.
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17 min: Berg has a whack from the edge of the Spurs D, but there are way too many defenders in the road. Spurs clear their lines. This is lively, without yet clicking over into exciting.
16 min: Richarlison slips a pass down the left for Udogie, whose low cross pinballs through the Bodo box but fails to drop to a green shirt. The visitors beginning to ask a few questions.
15 min: Porro throws long from the right. Or attempts to. His fling barely reaches the edge of the Bodo box.
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13 min: Progressive work by Udogie down the left, and here comes Tottenham’s first corner of the evening. Porro swings it to the near post, where it’s eyebrowed across the face of goal by Van de Ven. Nobody in Seven Sisters green there to bundle home. Goal kick.
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11 min: Hauge drops deep and looks long for Hogh down the middle. Van de Ven does very well to read the danger and intercept.
10 min: Bodo are seeing more of the ball during these early exchanges, though Spurs seem happy enough to sit back and get used to what’s what. “Hopefully Spurs can avoid spursing it up tonight,” begins Kjetil Dimmen. “Glimt have not dealt with their recent success particularly gracefully. Among other things, they now try to hover up the best players in Norway, expecting to pay nothing in the process. Think Real Madrid on a much, much smaller scale. Besides, Spurs should have a better chance against Man Utd in the final, and I really, really do not want to be stuck having to root for Glimt there.”
8 min: Vicario takes his sweet time over the resulting goal kick, and receives the first lecture of the night from the referee. The home fans also have their say on the matter.
7 min: Bodo ping it around the back awhile. Then spring down the left through Hauge, who drives into the Spurs box and wins the first corner of the game. The set piece is hit long, Blomberg chesting down just to the right of the six-yard box and lashing a shot into the side netting.
5 min: A bit of space for Høgh down the left. He exchanges passes with Saltnes, and a speculative ball is sent into an empty box and out for a goal kick.
4 min: The ball’s holding up a bit on the wet artificial pitch. Nothing too dramatic but Spurs will need to recalibrate from the usual conditions they face.
2 min: Spurs are on the front foot early doors. Bentancur crosses from the right. The ball drops to Richarlison, who shoots from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Sjøvold blocks. The hosts clear their lines.
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1 min: Bodo nearly gift Spurs a chance within the first ten seconds, a loose ball across the back, but Gundersen block-tackles Solanke, who was hoping to bust clear down the inside-right channel. The hosts breathe again.
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Pennants are swapped, coins tossed, hands clasped … and Bodø, 3-1 down after the first leg, get the ball rolling.
The teams are out! Bodø in bright yellow, Spurs in third-choice green [MBM hack squints hard, readjusts monocle] “all-over print inspired by the Seven Sisters elm trees”. A fantastic atmosphere at the Aspmyra, hardly surprising given the locals, as Jacob Steinberg reported at 7pm, have been pyro-partying all day and all night. And there are more fireworks being launched right now, to a soundtrack of AC/DC. What a blast! “Jacob’s report about supporters letting off fireworks reminds me of the early morning of the Peru v New Zealand WC playoff match second leg in Lima in 2017,” writes Craig McEwan. “At the time I lived near the hotel the NZ team stayed at, in the Miraflores district, very near the coast. At the crack of dawn the Peruvian air force flew a couple of their fighter jets at high speed just over the beach and past the hotel. It scared the bejezzus out of me woke me up and would have disturbed the Kiwis who went on to lose 2-0 while Peru qualified.” We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!
Ange Postecoglou speaks to TNT Sports. “We’ve had to deal with injuries all year … [Dejan Kulusevski] is coming back at the right time because losing [Lucas Bergvall] and [James Maddison] hasn’t been great … having Kulusevski back is key for us … we like to play quick as well [as Bobø do at the Aspmyra] … we did some things really well the other night … those things will be effective tonight and that’s what we’ve got to focus on … every moment is important … I don’t think we need too much motivation … the players are aware of what is at stake … we’ve earned the right to be in this position … there’s an opportunity for us to bring it home tonight.”
How Bodø/Glimt reached the semis. They beat Porto, Braga, Beşiktaş and Maccabi Tel Aviv on their way to a ninth-placed finish in the mega-group. They saw off Twente in the knockout playoffs, the teams sharing four injury-time goals over the two-legged affair, which Bodø eventually won 6-4 on aggregate. Bodø then saw off Olympiacos in the round of 16 (4-2 agg) then Lazio in the quarters, on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw. They also gave a good account of themselves at Old Trafford during the league phase, which could end up standing them in good stead should they make it to Bilbao.
It’s been a bit smoother for Spurs. They beat Qarabağ, Ferencváros, AZ, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg during the group, finishing comfortably in fourth. They’ve since beaten AZ in the round of 16 and Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarters without too much fuss. They’ve also done themselves proud at Old Trafford this season, as well as beating Manchester United at home in both Premier League and League Cup. Long-in-the-tooth / battle-weary / cynical Spurs supporters will have their theories as to how this story is likely to end, but for now everything looks promising.
Pennant watch. First things first, hats off to Bodø/Glimt for becoming the first Norwegian club to reach the semi-final of a major international competition. A lesser-known fact is that they’re also the first club in Uefa history whose graphic designer knocked out the match pennant while keeping both of their feet up on the desk for the entirety of the job. Congratulations to one and all!
Having said that, it’s not as if the Spurs art department have been pulling out all the stops. Honestly, if either of these teams qualify for next year’s Champions League, it’s not just the manager and playing staff who will have to raise their game a level.
“Hello from Bodø!” Well hello, Jacob Steinberg! Our man in the Arctic Circle reports …
I’m in position in the press box at the Aspmyra and it’s already beginning to fill up with the yellow and black of Bodø/Glimt. The sprinklers have been on too, just to make the artificial pitch even slicker, and it’s raining. It’s not too cold and it’s still very light here in the Arctic Circle but you can feel the temperature starting to drop. There was also some top banter from the ultras last night: they let off fireworks outside the Spurs hotel in the early hours. Overall you can feel the excitement in the town. It really feels like it’s going to be a huge test of Tottenham’s character. Still, it’s six years to the day since their win over Ajax...
Bodø/Glimt make three changes to their starting XI from the first leg. Two defenders out: Isak Dybvik Määttä and Sondre Brunstad Fet. One in: Brede Moe. In midfield, captain Patrick Berg and Håkon Evjen are back in favour; Villads Nielsen, like Määttä and Fet, drops to the bench.
Tottenham make one change, and it’s enforced. The injured James Maddison is replaced by Dejan Kulusevski.
The teams
Bodø/Glimt: Haikin, Sjovold, Moe, Gundersen, Bjorkan, Evjen, Berg, Saltnes, Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge.
Subs: Lund, Nielsen, Auklend, Fet, Helmersen, Maatta, Sorli, Bro Hansen, Kjaer.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Kulusevski, Bissouma, Bentancur, Johnson, Solanke, Richarlison.
Subs: Danso, Tel, Gray, Spence, Odobert, Sarr, Davies, Austin, Whiteman.
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy).
VAR: Marco Di Bello (Italy).
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Preamble
After last week’s efforts in N17 …
… Tottenham Hotspur have one foot in the final against (let’s go out on a limb and call it) Manchester United. However, there are reasons that give pause.
1. Ulrik Saltnes’ late goal will have given Bodø/Glimt belief
2. Ulrik Saltnes’ late goal will have planted seeds of doubt in the Spurs camp
3. Bodø/Glimt have won three of their previous four European ties in which they’ve lost the first leg away from home
4. Bodø/Glimt have already beaten Porto, Beşiktaş, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio at home during this campaign
5. This game will be played inside the Arctic Circle on an artificial pitch
6. Ange Postecoglou isn’t exactly renowned for shutting up shop
7. Lads it’s etc.
So you can pretty much guarantee that very few Spurs fans will be taking this for granted. But their team are in the box seat, and have the following going for them: they’ve won all five of their previous matches against Norwegian clubs; they’ve won their two most recent European semis (against Hajduk Split in the 1983-84 Uefa Cup and Ajax in the 2018-19 Champions League); they’ve won 18 of their previous 21 Uefa ties when winning the first leg at home; they’ve proved they can do solid with a battling 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarters; they’ve only lost two of their last 14 games in Europe; they’ve scored more goals (340) than any other team in Uefa Cup and Europa League history; and Ange Postecoglou isn’t exactly renowned for shutting up shop, so will go for the early goal that will surely kill off this tie.
We make that 7-7, then. Which would be more than enough to see Spurs through on aggregate. Kick-off is at 9pm in Bodø, 8pm BST. It’s on!
