JAKARTA In an effort to save the disappointing season and win their first European trophy in 41 years, Tottenham Hotspur will host Norwegian surprise team Bodo/Glimt, in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night 1 mEI local time.
Spurs hope to rise from adversity after being humiliated by Liverpool last weekend, while Bodo/Glimt come with high confidence as the first Scandinavian team to reach the semifinals of the UEFA inter-club competition.
Ange Postecoglou's men have just lost their third consecutive defeat in the Premier League after being beaten 1-5 by Liverpool at Anfield. Despite surprising the hosts through Dominic Solanke's opener, The Lilywhites were unable to contain the pressure the Reds finally locked the Premier League title.
With only four games remaining in the league, Tottenham are now in 16th place in the standings and have the potential to match their worst record in the Premier League era. However, Postecoglou still has the opportunity to present trophies through the Europa League tournament where Spurs have impressed so far.
One of the most memorable moments of the season came as victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. Solanke's single goal from the White Spot in Frankfurt sealed the Spurs' last four steps and kept hopes of closing the season sweetly.
On the other hand, Bodo/Glimt continued to make history as the first Norwegian team to reach the semifinals of European competitions. Under the tutelage of Kjetil Knutsen, Superlaget has dominated Norwegian football by winning the Eliteserien in 2023 and 2024, and starting the 2025 season with three wins and one draw.
A 3-0 win over KFUM Oslo over the weekend was ideal warm-up before visiting London. Striker from Denmark, Kasper Waarts Hogh, scored two goals in the match and has now scored seven goals in the Europa League this season, competing fiercely in the race for the Golden Boots with Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympicos).
Although he had never won in the previous three meetings against the England team, Bodo/Glimt had made a surprise when they took the lead at Old Trafford in the group stage against Manchester United, even though they finally lost 2-3.
Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou is expected to return to field his best team after eight rotations against Liverpool. The main centre-back duo, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, will return to replace Ben Davies and Kevin Danso.
Rodrigo Bentancur is also expected to appear early after missing Anfield. However, captain Heung-min Son is still doubtful after missing the last four games due to injury. He is most likely only able to return in the second leg next week.
Tottenham is confirmed without Radu Dragusin (knee injury), as well as Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner who were not registered for the knockout phase.
In the visitors' camp, Bodo/Glimt faced a fitness and suspension crisis. Andreas Helmersen, Patrick Berg, and Hason Evjen were all absent due to card accumulation. In addition, Odin Bjortuft's mainstay defenders are also doubtful about appearing after suffering a groin injury on weekends.
With the quality of the squad superior and playing in front of its own supporters, Tottenham is favorite to win. However, Bodo/Glimt are not opponents who can be underestimated, especially with a quick counter-attack that is their mainstay. The match is predicted to be tight with opportunities for Spurs to be narrow.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Mathhys Tel
Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjork; Fet, Auklend, Saltnes; Blomberg, Hauge, Hogh
Final score prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Bodo/Glimt