There is only one victory left for Son Heung-min (33) to achieve his first career title. Tottenham Hotspur heads to Bilbao, Spain, where the final will be held.
On the 9th at 4 a.m. (Korea time), Tottenham defeated Bodo/Glimt (Norway) 2-0 in the second leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) for the 2024-2025 season, held at the Asmira Stadium in Bodo, Norway.
With this, Tottenham beat Bodo with an aggregate score of 5-1 and successfully advanced to the final. They won the first leg 3-1 at home last week and secured their ticket to Bilbao by winning on the challenging Bodo away match. Although the Asmira Stadium is known as a graveyard for visiting teams due to its cold weather and artificial turf, it was not enough to bring down Tottenham.
Tottenham's opponent in the final is Manchester United, who overcame Athletic Bilbao. On the same day, Manchester United recorded a comeback victory of 4-1 at home against Bilbao, advancing to the final with an aggregate score of 7-1. The two teams, having both experienced a dismal season in the Premier League, will clash over the European competition championship trophy.
If Tottenham defeats Manchester United and succeeds in winning, it will mark their escape from a 17-year title drought since the 2007-2008 season. Furthermore, despite plummeting to 16th place in the Premier League, they will find themselves in the rare position of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. Most importantly, Son Heung-min will lift a trophy for the first time in his career.
Tottenham, led by manager Ange Postecoglou, started with a 4-3-3 formation. Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson formed the front line, while Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski played in midfield. Destiny Udogie, Mickey van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro made up the defense, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Son Heung-min missed his seventh consecutive match due to a foot injury.
Tottenham played well against the 'home powerhouse' Bodo. They pressed aggressively from a high position, disrupting the opponent's attacking buildup. Although Bodo had more possession of the ball as they urgently sought a goal, they failed to create notable chances. Tottenham, with no rush, focused on not conceding a goal to secure their place in the final.
Tottenham threatened Bodo's goal. In the 16th minute, Udogie sent a low cross from the left side of the box, but the goalkeeper stretched out to safely clear it. In the 23rd minute, Porro's sharp free-kick attempt was also thwarted by the goalkeeper's save.
A dull back-and-forth struggle continued. In the 33rd minute, Johnson received a warning for an unnecessarily dangerous tackle. Bodo finally attempted a shot after a long time. In the 35th minute, Kasper Høgh headed a cross from the left, but it went over the crossbar. Bissouma's shot in stoppage time of the first half went wide of the mark. The half ended without a score.
Bodo swallowed their disappointment. In the 6th minute of the second half, Jens Petter Hauge sent an early cross from the left behind the defense. Although Tottenham's defense missed the infiltrating Bodo attacker, it barely missed making contact, and van de Ven cleared it with a header.
Both benches began making substitutions. In the 15th minute, Bodo replaced Ole Didrik Blomberg and Høgh with Sondre Sørloth and Andreas Helmersens to change their attacking lineup. Tottenham also replaced Richarlison with Mathis Tel to adjust the left wing.
Tottenham broke the deadlock. In the 18th minute of the second half, from a corner kick, Romero flicked the ball with his head. Solanke threw himself to convert it into a shot that found the net. Tottenham extended their aggregate score to 4-1, getting even closer to the final.
Tottenham sealed the deal with a fortunate additional goal. In the 24th minute of the second half, Porro attempted a cross from the right. However, a slightly mishit ball hit the opposite goalpost and ricocheted into the goal. Porro celebrated with a 'dart celebration' dedicated to his teammate James Maddison, who is out for the season due to injury. The match ended in a 2-0 victory for Tottenham.
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