Tottenham Hotspur, without Son Heung-min, achieved a dramatic away victory, continuing their survival in European competitions. Now in the semifinals, Tottenham will face FK Bodo/Glimt from Norway, the giant killers of the UEFA Europa League.

On the 18th (Korea time), Tottenham defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal second leg held at Frankfurt Stadion in Frankfurt, Germany, with a decisive penalty kick by Dominic Solanke. Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at home, Tottenham secured advancement to the semifinals with an aggregate score of 2-1.

On this day, Tottenham faced a setback as captain Son Heung-min could not join the away match due to an ankle injury. Coach Ange Postecoglou deployed a 4-3-3 formation using a front three of Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson, along with a midfield featuring James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Bergvall. In contrast, Eintracht Frankfurt lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation centered around Hugo Ekitike.

In the 38th minute of the first half, Tottenham earned a penalty kick after James Maddison collided with the opposing goalkeeper Santos, and Solanke coolly converted it to score a valuable opening goal. Maddison was substituted due to an injury shortly after, and Tottenham maintained their lead by shutting down Frankfurt's persistent attacks with defensive plays for the remainder of the match.

Until the end of the second half, Ekitike and Christensen attempted threatening shots, but they missed the target or were blocked by goalkeeper Vicario, ultimately failing to find the back of the net.

Following a fierce contest, Tottenham secured a spot in the semifinals, where they will face the Europa League's top dark horse, Bodo/Glimt. On the same day, Bodo/Glimt advanced to the semifinals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Lazio in the quarterfinal second leg held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

Bodo/Glimt defeated Lazio 2-0 at home in the first leg, benefitting from heavy snowfall and artificial turf conditions. However, in the return leg in Rome, they allowed consecutive goals to Castellanos in the 21st minute of the first half and Noslin in stoppage time of the second half, forcing an aggregate tie of 2-2.

After exchanging goals once each in extra time, the two teams proceeded to a penalty shootout, where Bodo/Glimt claimed victory 3-2 with an impressive performance from goalkeeper Nikita Haikin.

On this day, all three players who scored for Lazio, Iksaksen, Castellanos, and Noslin, missed their penalties in the shootout, hanging their heads, while Bodo/Glimt celebrated a dramatic victory. This marks an unprecedented advancement to the semifinals for a Nordic club in the Europa League, and it’s particularly rare for a Norwegian team to reach the semifinals in a UEFA-sanctioned tournament.

Bodo/Glimt uses artificial turf at their home ground due to extreme cold, which has allowed them to perform strongly against top teams in European competitions. However, they tend to struggle in away matches, so the 'home and away' strategy is expected to be crucial in their semifinal against Tottenham.

Despite the recent absence of Son Heung-min due to injury, Tottenham has revitalized their spirit with the performances of young players and organized defending, achieving miraculous victories. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt has emerged as a dark horse in European competitions by achieving miracles during penalty shootouts. The semifinal clash between the two teams is garnering attention as a new intriguing matchup of 'traditional powerhouses' versus 'underdog momentum.'

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