Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium sets the stage for the first leg of Tottenham Hotspur’s must-win Europa League semi-final tie against surprise package Bodo/Glimt.

Tottenham’s embarrassing Premier League campaign hit a new low last weekend as newly-crowned champions Liverpool thrashed them 5-1 at Anfield, marking their third consecutive league defeat. With exit rumors surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future in North London intensifying amid Spurs’ worst domestic season since 2007/08, securing Europa League glory emerges as the only saving grace. Through to a European semi-final for only the second time in the 21st century, Tottenham will be out to protect their 100% win ratio against Norwegian clubs in UEFA competitions (W4) after overcoming Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. Confidence comes from Spurs’ indomitable home record in continental football, as they’ve not lost any of their last 19 European fixtures in London (W15, D4).

In the meantime, Bodo/Glimt defied the odds to eliminate league-phase toppers Lazio from the competition in the previous knockout round via penalties. The free-scoring visitors have found the back of the net in 24 of their last 26 UEFA fixtures, laying the groundwork for this historic feat. Indeed, Bodo have become the first-ever Norwegian outfit to reach the European semi-finals and must navigate this uncharted territory to make more history. Kjetil Knutsen’s men must beat English opposition for the first time after three straight defeats to uphold their remarkable record of progressing from eight of their last ten two-legged ties in continental action. Yet, it’s worth noting that they’ve lost all three away legs in this Europa League cycle.