Tottenham asserted dominance from the initial kick-off, taking advantage of the Bodø/Glimt side which are without key players, namely captain Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen, and Andreas Helmersen due to suspension, alongside injury doubts Odin Bjortuft and Ole Blomberg. The home side wasted no time, with Brennan Johnson heading home after just 38 seconds from a neat, smart nod down from Richarlison, setting the tone instantly. The early goal stunned Bodø/Glimt, who largely struggled to cope with Tottenham's high-pressing, transitional play.
In the 34th minute, James Maddison doubled the lead with an absolutely sublime finish, brilliantly taking down Pedro Porro's pinpoint accurate long-ball, before squeezing it into the bottom corner, despite the fact three Glimt players stood in-between him and the goal. The Norwegians, despite their reputation for upsetting bigger clubs like Lazio, Olympiacos, Celtic and Roma, found themselves overrun.
The second half saw Tottenham maintain control, and the persistence paid off in the 62nd minute, as the referee was called over to the monitor, subsequently awarding a penalty to Spurs, after Romero was brought down in the penalty area, very smart play from the Argentinian. Dominic Solanke made no mistake from the spot, neatly and calmly slotting it home to put Spurs comfortably 3-0 ahead in the tie.
After a moment of genius from Romero to win the penalty for his side, he suffered from a moment of idiocy, picking up a needless booking for an off-the-ball foul, but nothing more. Clarification also that even if Romero is to pick up another booking in the reverse fixture next Thursday, he will still be available for selection in the final, if Spurs were to make it there.
It looked to be a perfect night for Tottenham, until Saltnes' effort deflected off of Rodrigo Bentancur's lunging foot, looping over Vicario in the 83rd minute, to give Glimt that chance they need going back to Norway, and keeping the tie alive. That was Glimt's only shot on target during the whole game, and Spurs will be disappointed to have conceded so late on after playing 83 minutes of wonderful football.
Concerns for Tottenham in the injury department again, as goalscorers James Maddison and Dominic Solanke were both taken off to injury in the second half, both of which seemed to be some sort of muscular issue, but Ange Postecoglou's side will be hoping it's nothing serious, and that both will be prepared and ready for next Thursday's huge night.
The second leg in the Arctic Circle should be of no underestimation to Spurs, with Glimt having an amazing home record in European competitions, beating Porto, Besiktas, Olympiakos and Lazio at home this season. Some Spurs fans may also have flashbacks to an abysmal occasion back in 2021, under Jose Mourinho, as the side took a 2-goal lead to Croatia in the Europa League RO16, to lose 3-0 (AET) after a remarkable Mislav Orsic hattrick in the fixture. Tottenham will need to be prepared and stay focused, and put on another strong away display in Europe, like how they did against Frankfurt.
PARK LANE PLAYER RATINGS:
STARTING XI
Pedro Porro (MOTM): 9/10
Delivered a superb cross that led to the opening goal and later produced a pinpoint lofted pass for Maddison’s finish. Made a crucial tackle inside his own box around the 70-minute mark to deny a likely goal and continued to create chances, including one for Kulusevski. Clearly Tottenham’s standout performer.
James Maddison: 9/10
Missed early but made up for it with a clever run and an instinctive finish into the corner. Pulled strings creatively throughout and also delivered the free-kick that resulted in the penalty. Unfortunately, had to come off injured in the second half.
Rodrigo Bentancur: 9/10
Forced a strong save with a well-struck volley before halftime. He was unlucky to deflect Saltnes’ shot into his own net while trying to recover. Was the player with the most touches, duels won, tackles, and aerial duels won. Only Udogie (10) won possession more times than Bentancur (9). A solid performance all round.
Dominic Solanke: 8/10
Put in a strong shift, helping to carve out opportunities for teammates and scoring confidently from the spot. Was withdrawn late on after receiving treatment.
Yves Bissouma: 8/10
Back in the starting XI and made his presence felt early, winning the ball that led to the first goal. Took multiple shots from the edge of the area but couldn’t find the target. Overall, a powerful and confident return to form.
Destiny Udogie: 8/10
Showed plenty of energy in the opening half and fired a shot over after linking up well with Solanke. Had a good run into the box in the second half but couldn’t capitalise. Won back possession the most out of any player, defensively solid showing yet again for the Italian.
Micky van de Ven: 8/10
Picked out Solanke with a sharp pass in the first half and was solid defensively for the majority of the match.
Cristian Romero: 7/10
Found Maddison with a brilliant ball into the area early on. Nearly scored with a second-half header and was a bit passive in closing down Saltnes for his goal, though Bentancur partially obstructed his positioning.
Brennan Johnson: 7/10
Wasted no time by heading home less than a minute into the match. Remained a danger in the second half with his movement, though he was visibly frustrated by a lack of service from the opposite wing.
Richarlison: 7/10
Assisted the opener with a smart header across goal. Put in the effort in the first half but let himself down with some poor decision-making in promising positions. Substituted at halftime, Spurs fans will hope not due to injury.
Guglielmo Vicario: 6/10
Had very little to do throughout the match, and the only real action he faced was retrieving the ball from his net after a deflected shot left him with no chance.
SUBS
Mathys Tel: 6/10
Brought good energy off the bench and had a shot blocked in the area.
Dejan Kulusevski: 6/10
Had a few good touches but failed to make the most of two decent chances late on.
Wilson Odobert: 5/10
Brought on with 15 minutes remaining. Didn't have much time to get into the game.
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