Tottenham Hotspur avoided any mishaps in the Arctic Circle by easing into the Europa League final with a composed 2-0 win at Norway’s Bodo/Glimt for a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.
Ange Postecoglou’s side never looked like relinquishing the lead they established last week in north London and goals by Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro midway through the second half snuffed out any hope of a Bodo/Glimt comeback.
Despite a woeful Premier League campaign, Tottenham now have the opportunity to win their first trophy since 2008 when they face their English rivals Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21.
Solanke, who also scored in the first leg, scrambled in a Cristian Romero header in the 63rd minute and Porro then deceived home keeper Nikita Haikin with a cross that looped in to spark celebrations from the few hundred away fans.
With Bodo/Glimt boasting a formidable record on the artificial surface at their Aspmyra Stadium, home fans arrived believing their team could turn around the tie and become the first Norwegian side to reach a European final
Bodo dominated possession in the first half but Ole Blomberg’s volley into the side netting was about the closest the hosts came to scoring on a disappointing night.
On a rain-drenched plastic pitch 120 kms inside the Arctic Circle against a team of unsung players seeking to make Norwegian sporting history, the ingredients were all there for Tottenham to go all ‘Spursy’ — the phrase coined to describe the club’s habit of failing to deliver when opportunity knocks.
Despite building up a 3-1 lead in last week’s first leg, the fans who travelled to northern Norway would have done so with a justifiable sense of trepidation.
Modest Bodo/Glimt’s late goal scored by captain Ulrik Saltnes last week changed the dynamics of the tie and, having beaten Porto, Besiktas, Olympiakos and Lazio at home during their fairytale run, a visit from an out-of-form Tottenham side was anticipated with relish.
