On Thursday, April 8th, at the Aspmyra Stadium, Bodo/Glimt will try to write another historic chapter by pulling off one of the classic sports comebacks and overturning the 3-1 defeat suffered last week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final. Regardless of the outcome, Knutsen’s side has already made history as the first Norwegian team to reach the semi-finals of a European competition. But with just one match left, there's no reason they shouldn't aim for the most prestigious appointment of all—the final. At home, the Norwegians have proven to be one of the toughest teams to beat in the competition, partly due to their artificial pitch, which many teams are unaccustomed to, and partly because of the harsh weather conditions—just ask Lazio, who returned from Norway with a heavy 2-0 loss in the quarter-final first leg, a result that could have been even worse. On a physical level, Bodo/Glimt should also be fresher than their English opponents, having rested over the weekend and playing in the early stages of the Norwegian Eliteserien. Tottenham Hotspur, too, are a team on the brink of history, chasing their first international trophy since winning the UEFA Cup in 1983/84. Postecoglou’s men have had a season of two halves: sluggish in the Premier League, where they’re closer to the relegation zone than European spots, but in top gear in the Europa League, where they’ve decided to focus all their efforts. The 3-1 first-leg win, with goals from Johnson, Maddison, Solanke, and Saltnes, gives them a strong starting point to book a ticket to the May 21 final, but they’d be foolish to underestimate the tricky trip to Norway.

Bodo/Glimt Recent Form and Key Stats

Bodo/Glimt come into this match energized after not playing over the weekend in Eliteserien, where they currently sit fourth with 10 points and games in hand. Over their last five matches, they’ve recorded two wins, two losses, and one draw, scoring an average of 2.2 goals per game and conceding 1.6.

Their European journey has been built at home. In this Europa League, they’ve won 6 out of 7 matches at the Aspmyra Stadium, scoring 19 goals and conceding 8. They've also won their last five UEL matches at home and are unbeaten in nine straight with 8 wins and 1 draw.

Tottenham Hotspur Recent Form and Key Stats

In their most recent Premier League outing, Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw against West Ham United, continuing a winless domestic streak that now stretches over a month. In their last five games, they’ve managed two victories—both in the Europa League against Bodo/Glimt and Eintracht Frankfurt—while suffering losses to Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, and drawing with West Ham.

Fortunately for Postecoglou, things look much brighter in Europe. So far in the Europa League, the Londoners have recorded 8 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, scoring 25 and conceding 13 goals in 13 games. Away from the New White Hart Lane, they’ve lost twice (including a 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the round of 16), won three times, and drawn once, averaging 1.5 goals per match on the road.

Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur Prediction and Tactical Overview

The first leg was dominated by Tottenham, as stats show: 4 big chances to 0, and 24 total shots (7 on target) compared to 3 (1 on target) for the Norwegians. However, considering Bodo/Glimt's home form in this Europa League campaign, such numbers are unlikely to repeat in the second leg.

At home, Bodo/Glimt have taken down big names such as FC Porto (3-2 in the group stage), and most notably Lazio in the quarter-final first leg. Ironically, a repeat of the 2-0 scoreline from that match would be enough to send this semi-final to extra time.

Tottenham, however, are traveling to Norway with clear intentions: reach the final and possibly face Manchester United in what could be an all-English final. Spurs will not sit back and let Bodo/Glimt dictate the tempo, but will use their pressing game to win the ball early and strike quickly, just as they did in the first leg with Maddison’s 2-0 goal.

Given the Norwegians' goal average in their own stadium (more than 2.5 goals per game) and the motivation of the English, the BetMines Algorithm prediction for Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur predicts a tight game with plenty of goals and excitement. 

• BetMines Algorithm prediction for Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur predicts Over 2.5 goals at 74%
• BetMines Algorithm prediction for Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur predicts Under 2.5 goals at 26%.

Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Lineups

BODO/GLIMT (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Fet, Sorli, Saltnes; Blomberg, Jens Petter Hauge, Kasper Hogh. Manager: Knutsen

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Johnson, Richarlison. Manager: Postecoglou