Tottenham demonstrated their resilience in Arctic conditions, bringing Ange Postecoglou within 90 minutes of fulfilling his second-season trophy claim.
Following a disappointing league season characterized by poor form, Spurs found their rhythm in a location where daylight is almost constant this time of year.
Credit: REUTERS
Credit: REUTERS
Credit: REUTERS
They successfully navigated the artificial pitch at Bodo/Glimt, which had previously troubled several prominent European teams this season.
Employing deliberate time-wasting tactics and a style far removed from `AngeBall`, Spurs controlled the game until Dominic Solanke scored just after the hour mark.
Any remaining hope for Glimt was extinguished shortly after when Pedro Porro`s cross-shot fortuitously found its way into the far corner.
Spurs have now reached their first major European final since being Champions League runners-up to Liverpool in Madrid in 2019.
Echoing the 2019 final, they will return to Spain, this time facing fellow English side Manchester United in Bilbao.
Having already defeated the Red Devils three times this season, Postecoglou has a strong opportunity to deliver on his confident September statement that he “always wins things in his second season”.
Despite this potential triumph, it might not secure his position following a dreadful Premier League campaign with nineteen defeats leaving Spurs in 16th place.
However, winning would guarantee Champions League qualification, end the club`s 17-year trophy drought, and provide Postecoglou with a memorable moment beloved by fans.
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Considering the challenges of his season, achieving this would have a touch of poetic justice.
The atmosphere in the stadium, which Glimt`s manager Kjetil Knutsen expected his team to draw energy from, intensified before kick-off, accompanied by tracks like `Sabotage` and `Thunderstruck`.
The enthusiastic home crowd, dressed in yellow and filling the small stadium with a lower-league feel, loudly supported their team as the artificial pitch was watered.
This tactic was intended to make the ball move faster than on grass, a strategy that had surprised teams like Porto, Olympiakos, and Lazio earlier in the season.
Postecoglou had a difficult prior experience in Norway, having lost to Bodo in the Europa Conference League with Celtic three years prior.
However, persistent rain before the match seemed to have the opposite effect here, slowing the ball down.
Had his Spurs side faltered this time, Postecoglou`s job security upon returning to England would have been severely jeopardized.
But his team was focused from the start, adopting a cautious approach similar to their quarter-final away leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.
In that previous match, they had to win away from home, but here they knew they could still advance even with a one-goal defeat.
This confidence stemmed from their decisive 3-1 home win in the first leg last week, where the only negatives were Bodo`s late consolation goal and a season-ending injury to James Maddison.
Postecoglou`s side deliberately slowed the pace whenever possible; goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario repeatedly employed this tactic and was eventually booked.
This strategy restricted the hosts to minimal chances, and truth be told, Spurs appeared comfortable throughout.
Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK
Apart from Ole Blomberg hitting the side-netting and Kasper Hogh heading over, Bodo/Glimt rarely threatened to score in the first half.
Pedro Porro nearly opened the scoring from a free-kick just outside the box, but his powerful shot was spectacularly saved by Nikita Halkin.
Knutsen`s team needed to improve in the second half and did create a few dangerous crosses, but it wasn`t enough to truly threaten.
The match seemed decided when Solanke netted after Cristian Romero headed down a corner from substitute Mathys Tel.
It was definitively over six minutes later when Porro`s attempted cross deflected in off the post.
Despite Postecoglou`s challenging league results this season, his record against Manchester United is impressive: played five, won four, drawn one.
Ever-skeptical Spurs fans have noted this record but also quipped that it would be typical Tottenham to then lose against Manchester United in Bilbao.
Such a defeat would certainly reinforce their unwanted `Spursy` reputation.
Nonetheless, facing what is arguably the weakest Manchester United side in recent memory presents an incredible opportunity to claim European silverware for the first time since winning this competition in 1984.
Considering the difficulties faced this season, few would have predicted they could end it celebrating victory and singing, “We are the Champions.”
Except, perhaps, for Postecoglou himself. To his credit, he predicted it.
