TOTTENHAM hold comfortable lead against Bodo/Glimt despite having lead narrowed in the closing stages in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
The Norwegian champions entered the contest with a depleted squad as several key players are missing the trip due to suspension or injury.
Spurs, who are unbeaten in their last 14 Europa League matches at home, were headed into the lead as fellow winger Richarlison flicked the ball into Brennan Johnson path to tuck away inside the opening 40 seconds.
Following a period of superiority, Pedro Porro’s looping ball would bypass the Glimt backline and locate James Maddison, who would take it down and finish with the utmost composure.
Striker Dominic Solanke would add a third after the referee adjudged Cristian Romero to be clipped by the ankle in a knee-high challenge for the ball.
Ulrik Saltnes, who scored the brace to aid Bodo’s progression to this stage, showed a clean set of feet before bending his strike with aid of a deflection to narrow Spurs’ lead.
- Full-time result: Spurs 3-1 Bodo/Glimt
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Spurs dominate huge occasion
The atmosphere outside the stadium hours before kick-off really showed how much this meant to the Tottenham fans.
A semi-final in Europe does not come along every day after all.
Tottenham played the perfect game as they dominated from start to finish but the one blemish on their resume would be conceding a goal during one of their best periods of the match.
Norway Spurs can let this go
Tottenham have themselves in a great position heading into the second-leg with a two-goal lead.
They will be the favourites to progress to the final to meet the winners of Man Utd and Athletic Club.
The competition offers Postecoglou’s side a chance to secure Champions League football next season, something their league position is nowhere near being able to offer.
Credit: Alamy Boss hoping niggles not an issue
For most Tottenham fans, it would have been a real concern seeing both James Maddison and Dominic Solanke come off injured.
They need both of these attacking threats for the trip to Norway if they hope on progressing to the final.
After the match, Ange Postecoglou told TNT Sports that these were just niggles and he was being safe by deciding to rotate his squad.
Credit: Getty
Aussie having reason to smile
It has been a tough campaign for Ange Postecoglou, often having to field very awkward questions with the media.
The manager always said that he wins trophies in his second season with clubs and this may be no different in North London.
Seeing his team get into a three-goal lead, the manager seemed very pleased with their showing in this first-leg of the Europa League semi-final.
Credit: Getty South American puts in shift for Lillywhites
Rodrigo Bentancur covered a lot of ground for Tottenham tonight.
Often doing the work that goes unnoticed, the Uruguayan was integral to the win in the capital.
It will smart having seen the visitors’ goal deflect off him and beat his own keeper but he will no doubt use that as motivation in his performance in Norway next week.
Tottenham show focus to tactics
After the game the players spoke about how they had identified that this Bodo/Glimt side tend to grow into games and they planned to get straight at them.
They played out their manager’s tactics perfectly as they scored with less than a minute on the clock.
That complete deflated the visitors and led to Spurs controlling the game but conceding the late consolation goal will not have been part of the script they were given.
Credit: Getty Ange to stay focussed on final
The goal from Bodo/Glimt will have been celebrated in East London this evening.
Tottenham travel to struggling West Ham on the weekend and the fact that tie now hangs in the balance, is likely to affect team selections.
Postecoglou will not risk any of his key players, with nothing to play for in the Premier League other than pride.
Big man gets his goal in semi
Speaking with TNT Sports, goalscorer Dominic Solanke gave his view on his team’s performance:
Yeh we are pleased with the performance, it is nice to have a two-goal lead. We know the tie is not done and it will be a tough game over there. I think it was not ideal to concede late on, we wanted to take the clean sheet and three goal lead over there. It doesn’t change it much we know we need to go there and score.
Dominic Solanke
Brits looking for epic meeting
With two Premier League sides heading into the Europa League semi-finals, most neutrals would love to see them meet in Spain in the final.
While Tottenham take a two-goal lead to Norway, Man Utd won 3-0 in Spain against Athetic Club.
It is all set up for an all-English final if everything goes according to plan in the second-legs next week.
Gaffer has his say on win
Speaking with TNT Sports, Postecoglou shared his thoughts:
Yeh look I thought in terms of performance, I could not ask anymore from the lads. We were dominant, I don’t think the scoreline reflects that. All you can ask from a first leg is that you get yourselves into a good position and I think we have done that. It just the way of our season but nothing too serious with the injuries. We decided to take them off as more of safety measure.
Ange Postecoglou
A game of fine margins
Tottenham almost put in the perfect display this evening.
Scoring after only 40 seconds, they never looked back and seemed in total control of this game.
However, Bodo/Glimt’s first shot on target in the match took a big deflection off Bentancur to take it past Vicario in the Spurs’ goal.
That now means this is a completely different tie when Postecoglou’s side head to Norway next week.
Credit: Reuters Credit: AFP Scorer gives thoughts on game
Speaking with TNT Sports after the game, Johnson spoke about his side’s performance:
Yeh we are pleased, I think before the game if you had offered us a two-goal cushion we would have taken it. Disappointed to concede towards the end but this is how it goes. We knew we had to be onto them straight away and getting the early goal we did just that.
Brennan Johnson
FT: Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
That deflected goal for the visitors has completely changed the mood in North London.
With Bodo/Glimt having such a good home record, this one really hangs in the balance.
Spurs still have a lot of work to do in Norway next week.
View from SunSport’s Dan King in North London
Suddenly – and unnecessarily – next week looks interesting.
Bodo fans are bouncing and singing.
Spurs paid the price for taking the foot off the gas and not going in for the kill.
The visitors’ first bit of decent play in and around the Tottenham box brought a goal for stand-in captain Ulrik Saltnes.
Suspended skipper Patrick Berg and midfield partner Hakon Evjen will be back for the return, in which the Norwegians now have a glimmer of hope.
It would be criminal if Spurs found a way not to reach the final.
Yet Bodo have a formidable home record on their artificial pitch. Dejan Kulusevski missed a later chance and what should have been an unequivocally positive night for Tottenham had the shine taken off it.
FT: Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
The referee brings this first-leg to a close.
A comfortable win for Spurs in front of their own fans.
That consolation goal gives the visitors hope in this tie however.
Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
90+4. Kulusevski forces a late corner for Spurs.
Porro whips it in but Gundersen is first to it once again.
He has dominated the aerial duels in this second-half.
Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
90+2. It all seems a little nervy in the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.
Losing Maddison and Solanke has made a big difference the spine of this team.
Bodo/Glimt are growing in confidence here.
Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
90. A lot of Tottenham fans are making their way to the exits.
It always make you wonder with these types of fans, top-flight football is known for its dramatic finishes.
They are about to miss five added minutes in the capital.
Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
88. Porro looks to whip a cross in from out wide but it takes a deflection behind for a corner.
What Totenham would give for another goal now.
On this occasion Gundersen heads clear for the visitors.
Credit: AFP Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
86. The Norwegians have a great record at home in this competition this season, having won all their games by two goals or more.
As a result of that goal from Saltnes, this tie is back in the balance.
Stick or twist time for Bodo/Glimt now.
Tottenham 3-1 Bodo-Glimt
84. Bodo/Glimt score from their first shot on target.
The effort from Saltnes took a big deflection off Bentancur to take it up over Vicario.
If they could get another goal this would be seen as a decent result away from home.
Goal – Ulrik Saltnes (Bodo/Glimt)
Tottenham 3-0 Bodo-Glimt
82. The Norwegians are looking a little punch-drunk here.
In all their games in the competition so far, they have always been competitive.
That has not been the case so far in North London.
Tottenham 3-0 Bodo-Glimt
80. What a night this could be in the Europa League semi-finals.
Both English teams three-nil, up from their first-legs.
Kulusevski has some time and space in the box but he shoots early and it deflects behind for a corner.
Credit: Getty Tottenham 3-0 Bodo-Glimt
78. Tottenham will be worried about the injuries to Solanke and Maddison.
With Bergvall sat on the sidelines with a boot on, they do not need any more concerns on that front.
Udogie gets down the left and tries to shoot from an impossible angle, much to the dismay of Johnson in the middle.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
