LONDON – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium roared to life on May 1, 2025, as Spurs carved out a 3-1 victory over Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final. The north London faithful, all 61,327 of them, watched their side seize a two-goal lead to carry into the Arctic chill of Norway for the return leg. It was a night of blistering starts, cool-headed penalties, and a late scare that kept the tie from being a done deal.
The match exploded into action just 39 seconds in. Pedro Porro’s arcing cross found Richarlison, who nodded it down for Brennan Johnson to head home from point-blank range. It was the fastest goal ever scored in a Europa League semi-final, a stat that had the stadium buzzing like a live wire. Spurs, unbeaten in their last 19 European home matches, were off and running, their high press suffocating the Norwegian champions.
Bodø/Glimt, the first Norwegian side to reach a major European semi-final, looked shell-shocked. Their defense, missing key players like captain Patrick Berg and Håkon Evjen due to suspensions, struggled to contain Tottenham’s relentless attacks. In the 34th minute, Porro struck again, this time with a long, diagonal ball that James Maddison latched onto, outpacing the offside trap. Maddison’s finish wasn’t pretty—more scuffed than struck—but it nestled into the net for 2-0. The crowd erupted, sensing a rout.
As halftime loomed, Bodø/Glimt’s goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, fresh off heroics in their penalty shootout win over Lazio in the quarter-finals, kept his side in the fight. He clawed away a fierce volley from Rodrigo Bentancur, who’d chested down a loose ball and let fly. The visitors had a flicker of hope just before the break when Ole Didrik Blomberg met a Jens Petter Hauge cross but skied his shot from close range.
The second half saw Spurs keep their foot on the gas. In the 61st minute, Bodø/Glimt’s Fredrik Sjøvold clumsily fouled Spurs captain Cristian Romero in the box. Up stepped Dominic Solanke, who slotted the penalty low and left, making it 3-0. Solanke, with four goals in the competition this season, barely flinched as he sent Haikin the wrong way. Tottenham were cruising, their fans dreaming of a first European final since 2019.
But Bodø/Glimt, battered yet unbowed, refused to roll over. In the 83rd minute, Jeppe Kjær teed up Ulrik Saltnes, who danced through a forest of Spurs defenders and fired a shot that deflected off Bentancur into the top corner. The 3-1 scoreline gave the Norwegians a lifeline, their traveling supporters roaring as if they’d won the tie. Spurs pushed for a fourth, with Mathys Tel and Dejan Kulusevski both seeing efforts blocked, but Bodø/Glimt’s defense held firm.
The match wasn’t without its costs. Maddison limped off in the 65th minute with a knock, replaced by Kulusevski, while Solanke also received treatment late on. Both injuries appeared precautionary, but with a Premier League clash against West Ham looming on May 4, Spurs will be sweating over their stars’ fitness.
This was Tottenham’s ninth major European semi-final, their first since the 2018-19 Champions League. They’ve lost the first leg in their last two semi-finals but clawed their way to the final each time. Bodø/Glimt, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five away matches in the Europa League, their only road win a 2-1 upset at Braga in the group stage. Their home form, however, is formidable—six wins from seven at Aspmyra Stadion this season.
Spurs now head to Norway for the second leg on May 8, where Bodø/Glimt will look to channel their home strength and overturn the two-goal deficit. The winners will face either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the final on May 21 at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. For now, Tottenham hold the upper hand, but Saltnes’ late strike ensures the tie is far from over.