Europa League 2025: Ange’s Spurs reach final against Manchester United

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.

Spurs players celebrate Dominic Solanke’s goal.Credit: Getty Images

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.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League with 19 defeats from 35 games and on course for their worst top-flight campaign since 1994 and Postecoglou has long worn the expression of a man who knows he might not be at the club next season.

Yet, amid the rubble of a wretched season, Tottenham can suddenly sense salvation and a chance to win the club’s first European trophy since the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Manchester United’s season has arguably been even worse than Tottenham’s but their 7-1 aggregate victory over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday means the teams currently 15th and 16th in the Premier League will play off for a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Ange Postecoglou has just spoken on Stan Sport a short time ago, and he’s a happy man.

I’m very happy, obviously, and just really proud of the players. I thought they did exactly what we needed to do tonight.

Everyone knows it’s a difficult place to come, a difficult team to play against here. I thought we controlled the game really well, didn’t really let them create too much and got our goals.

We kind of knew what we had to face here. I thought we handled the first leg really well. We were really aggressive. Today was going to be a different game. We just needed to take our time and try to take any rhythm out of the game. They like to play at a high tempo, high intensity and we tried to take that rhythm out of them. We were still aggressive with our press and didn’t really let them get in our half too many times.

On reaching the final:

I think any season you get to a final is great. It’s what we all try and do. It doesn’t happen often. Even for a big football club like ours, you want to enjoy those moments and we certainly did. We enjoyed tonight. Great for our supporters who are here and the ones back home, I’m sure, are celebrating. We’ve given them hope and the dream of hopefully doing something special.

On his second-season trophy streak:

It’s just stating a fact. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.

And on the strategy to play long goal kicks, which is very anti-Angeball:

I’ve had a fair bit of experience. There’s just too much risk trying to play out [short from defence] and we wanted to knock the rhythm out of them. I just felt tonight made sense for us to be a bit more direct.

Manchester United booked their berth in the Europa League final after a 4-1 semi-final win Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, with Mason Mount scoring twice to hand the hosts a 7-1 aggregate win and a chance for the beleaguered team to hoist some silverware this season.

United, who are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, kicked off the night with a comfortable cushion thanks to their stunning 3-0 victory a week earlier in Bilbao.

But Mikel Jauregizar put Athletic on the score sheet in the 31st minute after a terrible clearance attempt by Harry Maguire landed at the Spaniard’s feet and he unleashed a blistering shot from outside the box into the top corner.

United will meet Spurs in the final.Credit: Getty Images

Mount drew United level in the 72nd minute, latching onto a pass from Leny Yoro before turning and firing past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Casemiro headed home from a free kick seven minutes later, and Rasmus Hojlund put the game out of reach in the 85th when Amad Diallo cut the ball back from the byline into the six-yard box and the Dane tapped into an empty net.

Mount completed his double in added time when he spotted Agirrezabala well out of his net and fired a shot from just inside the visitors’ half.

United, the Europa League champions in 2017, will play Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League final on May 21 at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.

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.

Spurs players celebrate Dominic Solanke’s goal.Credit: Getty Images

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.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League with 19 defeats from 35 games and on course for their worst top-flight campaign since 1994 and Postecoglou has long worn the expression of a man who knows he might not be at the club next season.

Yet, amid the rubble of a wretched season, Tottenham can suddenly sense salvation and a chance to win the club’s first European trophy since the UEFA Cup in 1984.

Manchester United’s season has arguably been even worse than Tottenham’s but their 7-1 aggregate victory over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday means the teams currently 15th and 16th in the Premier League will play off for a spot in next season’s Champions League.

That’s it.

Job done.

Tottenham Hotspur are into the Europa League final, thanks to second-half goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro. They’ll face Manchester United in the final.

In the end, they did it rather easy.

The hosts have been awarded a late penalty, right at the end of the three minutes of added time, after Pedro Porro appeared to bring down Sondre Sorli in the box. That looked a very generous call by the referee, who pointed straight to the spot… the VAR will have another look at this. Could it be overturned?

Well, he’s being summoned to the sideline monitor.

And it’s been overturned!

No foul from Pedro Porro, the replay shows - he got the ball. No penalty!

It’s now 2-1 to United in the other semi-final against Athletic Bilbao - making it, like this tie, also 5-1 on aggregate - so we are bound for an all-English final between two of the most disappointing teams in the Premier League this season.

One of them will salvage their campaign with a trophy.

Bodo/Glimt 0-2 (1-5) Tottenham Hotspur, 82 minutes

There’s no tension out there any more. It’s gone. Fate has been sealed for both teams. They know it. They’re just going through the motions for the next 10 minutes until the whistle comes. The key for Tottenham will be making sure there are no injuries, so they can bring a healthy squad to Bilbao.

Bodo/Glimt 0-2 (1-5) Tottenham Hotspur, 80 minutes

Spurs have done everything right here. Mature, resolute, level-headed performance at both ends. Came with the right attitude. Didn’t let the occasion over-awe them. And they’ll leave with a well-deserved victory - and a shot at winning the club’s first trophy since 2008.

Bodo/Glimt 0-2 (1-5) Tottenham Hotspur, 73 minutes