Spurs win at Bodo/Glimt to book Europa League final with Man Utd

Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham (Solanke 63′, Porro 69′) – Spurs win 5-1 on aggregate

So that second year trophy is still a thing for Ange Postecoglou, if that is still of any consequence at the end of a season of improbable decline. Big Ange celebrated Dominic Solanke’s decisive strike as if he were witnessing a routine outcome, saluting the brilliance of his magnificent team, or perhaps raising two fingers to those who question his suitability for the role of Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Postecoglou occupies that space familiar with failing coaches, who imagine results are the work of some cruel, unseen hand carrying out a vendetta. And so he greets every question with a snarl, as if the same force has joined the media to its cause.

For all the enterprise of Bodo Glimt and the romance attached to it, the Arctic warriors turned out to be a blunt tool in this tie, serving only to make Spurs look better than the Premier League says they are.

At other points in the historic arc of European football, an all-English final featuring Spurs and Manchester United would have been a hallmark of sorts, a shot of Premier League glamour across the bows of Uefa’s secondary pot. In this period of spiralling ineptitude Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin might suddenly find himself double booked at the hairdresser’s on 21 May.

Spurs have one foot in the Europa League final!

Dominic Solanke reacts quickest as he stabs home Romero's nod down, and puts Spurs ahead on the night, and 4-1 ahead on aggregate

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Tottenham have basically traded places with Nottingham Forest this term, plummeting from fifth to 16th on the back of 19 Premier League defeats, their highest in more than 30 years, and they are not done yet. Conversely they have outscored Chelsea and are only one shy of second-placed Arsenal’s tally of 64 goals.

Clearly, this is a team of many colours. Their only wins in the Premier League since beating United in February were against Ipswich and Southampton, and we know what happened to them. Injuries? Yes they have had a few, but that is a regret to which any coach that ever set out cones can lay claim.

This felt so last century, the rooftops of neighbouring houses visible over bobbing heads at one end of the ground, like a trip down the divisions in an old FA Cup third round replay. There was little sense that Bodo were actually 3-1 down in the tie, such was the optimism of a fanbase experiencing a European semi-final for the first time.

The 400 or so Spurs fans in the 8,700 capacity crowd spoke of their anxiety before the game, which of course is one of the requirements of entry into this fan club. Fears over the artificial pitch appeared overstated. Heavy rain before kick-off made unnecessary Bodo’s practice of watering the surface heavily. The idea that a wet surface might discomfit the visitors proved fallacious, with Spurs quickly into the same groove that saw them into a 3-0 lead in London.

Bodo, unbeaten in four games at the start of Norway’s summer season, were enjoying a historic moment, travelling further in Europe than any Norwegian club. Their strength is the community endeavour underpinning the magic carpet ride. There is no big-money benefactor ploughing coin into this project, just purpose and a sense of identity.

Man of the match: Dominic Solanke

First to the ball in the six-yard box to score the vital opener. You can build a career on goals like that.

The modest surroundings clearly reinforced Spurs’ sense of themselves as a class above. A little bit of hauteur goes a long way in the context of a season when they have been largely stripped of their big dog status in the Premier League.

A second goal from Pedro Porro quickly followed Solanke’s close-range strike, removing the last drop of resistance from the yellow shirts. And so Postecoglou takes Spurs to a sixth European final in Bilbao, a paradox of sorts given many believe he has taken Spurs as far as he can.

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