cost?
Spurs are one step closer to the Europa League final after a 3-1 victory over Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their semi-final, but there’ll be repercussions.
Things didn’t start well, with Bergvall missing from the squad and showing up on crutches with his foot in a protective boot, after injury his ankle in training.
This led to Bissouma making the team, which wasn’t met with much joy. The other change was Richarlison replacing Tel in the starting XI. The young Frenchman hadn’t exactly set the world on fire in his games since January but this was a bit of a surprise.
The pair played their part in the opening goal, which came less than a minute into the game. Richarlison started it with a cross from the left, Johnson won the header but the ball went straight up in the air and was headed out right by a Bodo defender, where Bissouma hustled and won back possession. Laid off to Porro, he made some room and got a quick cross in, Richarlison headed it back across goal to the back post where Johnson was loitering to head it home.
BG Spursy’d it. Three white shirts in there and a hell of a lot more yellow shirts and Johnson was left all on his lonesome.
38 seconds. Too early?
Well, they were close to a second a little later, with a long ball over the top of Bodo’s high line but Maddison couldn’t control it. Not long after they played the same trick and this time it paid off. With Maddison taking the ball, he went a bit wider than probably wanted but cut the ball back past the keeper for Spurs’ second.
Long ball was working but they kept doing that fannying about they love so much. Though for once the first half possession was pretty level between the two sides, Spurs were having attempts, while Bodo didn’t have one on target, from the two they managed – they did give the home team a scare just into added time at the end of the first half. It was just there was no finishing from Spurs. Well, what do expect when you have Solanke. Put into good positions he either dithers allowing his shots to be blocked or he can control a simple ball, which then bounces off both legs before losing it. Or he just doesn’t know what run to make. God, he is a bum.
He did get a goal not long into the second half but again it was a spots kick, as his record of scoring non penalty goals stands at 1 in his last 16 games. But his pressing stats were good.
It came after Romero was kicked as both players went for the ball. Is it a pen, it’s one of those grey areas. Maddison kept hold of the ball during the VAR review but it was Solanke who took it and stretched out his couple of pace run long enough for the keeper to commit himself far too early.
Surprised Tel didn’t demand to take it. He’d come on, at the break, for Richarlison who’d looked like he’d picked up an injury during the first half. He lollygagged back holding his back.
The second half just lacked the intensity of the first from Spurs. They ended up having just 30% of the ball, though managing a number of shots, it was almost as if they’d thought the game was done and dusted, hell, even the tie was done. Hard to overcome that Ange half-time team-talk. Maddison departed shortly after the third. Another injury to content with. Kulusevski replacing him, again contributed very little.
But the second half could be summed up with two actions. The first saw Romero just being Romero and doing Romero things. The Bodo player laying off the ball then running towards the Spurs’ box, Romero didn’t take his eyes of him, watched him all the way and then went in to take him out. Right in front of the ref. So bloody stupid.
Then not long from the end and Bodo score with their only shot on target in the whole game. It took a wicked deflection but the Bodo player was allowed to weave round three players before getting his shot off.
Three nil and everything was jubilant. That one goal deflated everything. Why? Well, no matter how meh Bodo were in this game, no matter what people think of their level, they’ve won six of their seven EL games at home this season. Four of them with a scoreline to either win outright or take it extra time. Scoring at least 2 in each of the victories. Lazio, Olympiacos, Porto, Twente all beaten in Norway on the plastic pitch – and we remember Spurs’ travails on plastic this season.
Be very easy for Spurs to join that group. And now with players missing, players who will either miss or be rested for Premier League games that league loss record looks even more likely.
Nearly to a final. Nearly saving Ange’s boast. But at what cost…