Tottenham masterclass, wonder goal put Ange’s Spurs into Europa League final
Ange Postecoglou’s dreams of winning a trophy with Tottenham are alive after a Spurs masterclass, and he gave his players chills post-game.
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Ange Postecoglou’s dreams of winning a trophy with Tottenham are well and truly alive after his Spurs defeated Bodø/Glimt 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final to reach the Europa League final.
It was a masterclass from the Australian manager’s men in cold conditions in Norway on Thursday (AEST), where Tottenham entered into the clash with a 3-1 advantage from the first leg.
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The score was 0-0 at halftime before Tottenham exploded in a six-minute second half blitz to claim a 2-0 win and claim a dominant 5-1 victory on aggregate across the two semi-final legs.
The Spurs broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Dominic Solanke toed in a Cristian Romero header from a lofted corner kick.
It got even better for Tottenham just a few minutes later when Pedro Porro kicked a sensational long range goal from a tight angle on the right hand side of the box.
Unsure if it was a cross or a shot on goal, the ball sailed past the Bodø/Glimt goalkeeper and clattered in off the upright.
Watch Tottenham’s Europa League semi-final highlights in the video above
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Sverre Magnus were in the stands but they didn’t have much to cheer about as Bodø/Glimt came away scoreless.
In heartwarming post-match scenes, Postecoglou gave his players massive hugs as the team celebrated with travelling Tottenham fans.
“You can see what it means for Ange,” Craig Foster said on Stan Sport.
“This season has been absolutely horrible. He’s had to manage through the most intense pressure. It has been a furnace.
“This is a big morning. For Australian coaching, this is absolutely immense. Ange has broken a lot of barriers in his career and he’s broken another one here. First Australian coach in a major European final. That’s big.
“Win or otherwise, he has already created a new level for Australian coaches. This is a very big moment.”
Postecoglou was full of pride as he told his players how proud he was of them in a spine-tangling speech in the Spurs change room, which you can watch above.
Tottenham will take on Manchester United in all-English Europa League final after the Red Devils defeated Athletic Club Bilbao 4-1 to win their semi-final 7-1 on aggregate.
Tottenham and Manchester United have both endured nightmare Premier League seasons, but victory in a European final would help put memories of their domestic campaigns behind them.
They will face off in the Europa League final in Bilbao, Spain on Thursday, May 22.
Spurs fans are desperate to see the club lift some silverware — the 2008 League Cup remains the last trophy won by Tottenham.
‘Why would I care?’: Ange blows up at question
Postecoglou has been increasingly prickly in his press conferences but he now has a chance to prove his critics wrong after claiming on the eve of this season he always wins a trophy in his second year in charge of a team.
Tottenham’s Premier League campaign has been a diaster — Spurs sit 16th on the table — but victory in the Europa League would go a long way to helping Postecoglou keep his job amid mounting pressure.
The winner of the Europa League will also secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Postecoglou bristled in his post-match press conference when asked his thoughts on Manchester United’s view that Europa League glory won’t save their season.
The Aussie manager said: “Why would I care what Man United think? Why is that relevant to me? Me, I’ve said all along that this is important.
“What’s happening now is people are fearing that (Tottenham winning), that is actually might happen, so let’s see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it and saying it’s been a poor season, or we don’t deserve this or that or somehow comparing us to Manchester United.”
Originally published as Tottenham masterclass, wonder goal put Ange’s Spurs into Europa League final
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