Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou tweaks his 'non-negotiables’ as Spurs take big step towards Europa League final | OneFootball

Spurs have taken control of Europa League semi-final with a first leg win over Bodo/Glimt

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Brennan Johnson’s header after just 38 seconds got Spurs off to the perfect start and James Maddison doubled their lead before half-time with a cute finish.

Dominic Solanke made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Cristian Romero was caught, but the centre-forward and Maddison were both forced off injured in a frustrating end to the match for Spurs.

Here are three Spurs talking points from the match…

Spurs halfway to Bilbao

Tottenham took a significant step towards a Europa League Final in Bilbao on May 21 but will have mixed feelings on a two-goal win after conceding a sloppy late goal.

With a 3-0 cushion, Spurs would have been considered overwhelming favourites to progress but Glimt will be an entirely different proposition on their artificial pitch in the Arctic Circle next week, and will welcome back three players from suspension – including influential captain Patrick Berg.

They will believe they can overturn a 2-0 lead, particularly after beating Lazio by that margin at home in the quarter-final.

Ulrik Saltnes’ deflected goal has changed the outlook of the tie

AFP via Getty Images

Spurs, though, have a significant grip on the tie, having made the most of home advantage and should be confident of finishing the job in Norway, provided they keep their composure.

The quality of the opposition is a factor in this competition, but credit must go to Postecoglou and his players, who again demonstrated that they can raise their game to deliver big results in Europe, in spite of their wretched league form.

Spurs still have a long way to go but Postecoglou is moving closer to fulfilling his promise to win something in his second season and transform the outlook of the club’s bleak campaign.

Injuries a major concern for Spurs

What may be remembered in time as an historic night for Spurs appeared to come at a cost, however, after Maddison and Solanke were both forced off with injuries in the second half.

Maddison immediately signalled to the bench after pulling up in the 65th-minute, while Solanke fell to the turf clutching his hip soon after.

Their departures changed the game, which had been one-way traffic, and Spurs lacked a spark without Maddison and were unable to hold up the ball after Mathys Tel replaced Solanke up-front.

It would be a major worry for Postecoglou if one or both of the England internationals is unavailable in Norway, especially with Lucas Bergvall injuring his ankle in training on Wednesday and seen on the bench on crutches and wearing a protective boot.

Suddenly, there is a danger that Spurs injury problems are returning at the worst possible time.

Straight down the tunnel: James Maddison

Getty Images

For Postecoglou, though, a potentially seismic night in his tenure must have nonetheless been satisfying because his big selection decisions were justified.

Eyebrows were raised in the press room when the line-ups were announced, with Yves Bissouma coming into the base of midfield for Bergvall and Richarlison starting on the left wing.

Bissouma has been replaced at the interval in three of his last four Spurs starts and appeared to have been bombed out by Postecoglou, while Richarlison had never started a game with Solanke and was last named in the XI on the wing in October 2023.

And yet within 38 seconds, the pair were influential in Spurs’ dream start. Bissouma shrugged Ole Dirdik Blomberg off the ball to win possession and Richarlison unselfishly headed Porro’s cross into the path of Johnson, who could not miss.

Spurs pragmatic again

This was not a victory based on the principles of ‘Ange-ball’ but another pragmatic and surprising direct display from Spurs.

Postecoglou's side were happy to go long from goal-kicks or the centre-halves, and there was even the rare sight of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario being ticked off by the referee for taking too long over a restart towards the end of the first half.

After their pragmatic display in Frankfurt in the quarter-final second leg, which they ended with five defenders on the pitch and concerted attempts to run down the clock, this was another demonstration that Postecoglou is willing to tweak his ‘non-negotiables’ at this stage of the competition to make his side harder to beat.

They face a big test of those more pragmatic qualities in northern Norway next week.