Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt stand between Tottenham and a place in the 2025 Europa League final. Kjetil Knutsen’s side caused a huge shock in the competition after knocking out Lazio in the quarter-finals on penalties on Thursday evening.
Not many would have predicted the team from Bodo to progress when the draw was made but they deservedly take their place in the final four. Leading 2-0 from the first leg before seeing the crucial return tie in Rome go to extra time following Tijjani Noslin’s stoppage-time equaliser, Bodo/Glimt then went 3-2 down on aggregate prior to Andreas Helmersen grabbing a crucial goal in the 109th minute to send the game to penalties.
The visitors held their nerve to progress with a 3-2 shootout win, thus setting up a semi-final showdown against Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs in the process. Spurs will once again be at home in the first leg, with the first meeting between the sides to be played on Thursday, May 1.
The second leg at Bodo/Glimt’s Aspmyra Stadion, which holds just over 8,000 fans, will take place the following week on Thursday, May 8. As ever, it means that Tottenham will have to contend with Thursday-Sunday football at a key point in the season. Not that they will be complaining, though, with a potential Europa League final date on the horizon.
Spurs will go into the first leg having played against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, April 27. They will then return to Premier League action after their first Europa League semi-final clash with a London derby away at West Ham.
The game at the London Stadium is currently in the calendar for Saturday, May 3 but it will now need to be rescheduled for the following day due to their European commitments. Spurs then face another side from the capital after the second leg in Norway as Crystal Palace make the trip to N17.
Again, this game will need to be rescheduled as it is currently pencilled in to be played on Saturday, May 10. Bodo/Glimt’s schedule is certainly kinder to them heading into the European ties, especially the decisive second leg in Norway.
Prior to the first game at Tottenham, Bodo/Glimt will be in action on Sunday, April 27 when they host KFUM in the Eliteserien. They are actually down to play at Fredrikstad on the night of the first Europa League semi-final but the Norwegian league will have to find a new date for that fixture.
Bodo/Glimt do not have a game the weekend prior to the semi-final second leg, meaning they have a full week to prepare for the visit of Tottenham. It possibly could give them an advantage heading into that fixture but that may all depend on how the first meeting between the sides plays out in London.
Tottenham, in comparison, will only have the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for the match in Norway due to their game at West Ham. What should certainly help Postecoglou and Spurs out heading into their European fixtures during a busy period is the sheer size of his squad at present as the team’s injury woes have eased up dramatically in recent weeks.
Only Son Heung-min and long-term absentee Radu Dragusin are in the treatment room at present, with Postecoglou likely to issue an update on his captain on Saturday when he holds his pre-match press conference ahead of Monday’s Nottingham Forest encounter. The winner of the semi-final tie between Tottenham and Bodo/Glimt will either play Athletic Club or Manchester United in the showpiece finale in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.
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