Tottenham Hotspur kept their hopes of ending a 17-year trophy drought alive on Thursday, beating Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory and a Europa League final clash with Manchester United.
Second-half goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sent Ange Postecoglou’s side into the May 21 final in Bilbao, offering a rare bright spot in an otherwise disastrous season.
Tottenham last lifted silverware in 2008 and have lost four finals since then, including the 2019 Champions League final. But the north Londoners are now one win away from their first European trophy since the 1984 UEFA Cup.
United, who also endured a poor domestic campaign, stormed past Athletic Bilbao with a 7-1 aggregate win. Both clubs currently sit 15th and 16th in the Premier League, respectively, with Europa League success their only path to next season’s Champions League.
Despite Spurs’ strong record against United this season—three wins from three—manager Postecoglou remains under pressure. The Australian admitted earlier that his job may not be safe even with a European triumph, given the club’s disastrous league form.
Thursday’s match in Bodo was played under harsh Arctic conditions with strong winds and freezing rain, but Tottenham delivered a disciplined performance. Solanke struck in the 63rd minute before Porro’s cross floated in six minutes later to seal the tie.
While Bodo/Glimt’s run to the semi-finals was historic—they became the first Norwegian team to reach that stage in Europe—the fairy tale ended against a composed Spurs side.
The final now pits the Premier League’s two biggest underachievers this season against each other for both a trophy and a Champions League berth.
