Tottenham Hotspur looked poised to coast into their second European final of the century, but Bodø/Glimt's late goal in north London has opened the door ajar for the Norwegians heading into the second leg.
Thursday's hosts will be bolstered by the returns of two key midfielders as well as the unique challenge the Aspmyra Stadion presents. Their home record in the competition this season is close to perfect, with only Qarabag escaping the Arctic Circle without tasting defeat.
Spurs, thus, cannot believe this tie is over despite their two-goal advantage. The second leg will be nothing like the first and this could be a nervous slog for Lilywhite supporters.
Here's the team Ange Postecoglou is likely to pick in Bodø.
Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3)
GK: Guglielmo Vicario—Vicario came under fire again at the weekend amid a period of indifferent form, but did keep a big clean sheet away from home in the quarter-finals.
RB: Pedro Porro—With James Maddison out, Porro's responsibility as a playmaker has suddenly increased considerably. The right-back teed up Spurs' second last week and should be relatively fresh for the second leg after failing to come on at West Ham on Sunday.
CB: Cristian Romero—Some may be nervous heading into the return leg in tricky conditions, but Spurs' performance in Frankfurt combined with Romero's involvement should inspire greater confidence.
CB: Micky van de Ven—The Dutchman's fragile hamstrings will hope to survive the artificial surface – he's been afforded plenty of preparation time at least.
LB: Destiny Udogie—The Italian international is starting to recapture his best form, and there's no doubt about his place in Thursday's team.
CM: Yves Bissouma—With Lucas Bergvall out for the season, Postecoglou opted to start Bissouma last week in a move which surprised the entire fanbase. However, the erratic midfielder performed superbly, and he'll get another chance to dominate on the big occasion in Bodø.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur—Some of Bentancur's best work this season has arrived in this competition, and he should benefit from having Bissouma alongside him in the middle of the park.
CM: Dejan Kulusevski—A mammoth conclusion to the season beckons for Kulusevski, who'll be tasked with filling Maddison's void in midfield. The Swedish star hasn't been anywhere near his best since returning from a foot injury, and Spurs desperately need an uptick from the playmaker here.
RW: Brennan Johnson—Moneyball Johnson may only touch the ball three times on Thursday, but as long as one of those is decisive, very few will care.
ST: Dominic Solanke—Solanke is an injury doubt heading into the return leg, but the signs are pointing towards the striker starting on Thursday night. He has two goals from the penalty spot in Spurs' previous two Europa League outings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Bodo/Glimt: Europa League.
