Tottenham Hotspur kept their European dreams alive and moved one step closer to ending a 17-year trophy drought with a 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory and setting up a Europa League final with Manchester United.
Having already claimed a 3-1 first-leg win, Spurs endured a scrappy second leg in gale-force conditions in Norway, with Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro scoring in the second half to book the final in Bilbao on May 21.
The result confirmed a heavyweight all-English clash after Manchester United crushed Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in their semi-final.
Read Also: Europa League: Man United crush Athletic Bilbao to play Spurs in final
The final will pit the Premier League’s two most underperforming giants against each other this season. Both clubs have endured dismal domestic campaigns — United sit just one place above Tottenham in the league table, but now have a shot at salvaging silverware and securing Champions League qualification.
Tottenham, without a trophy since their 2008 League Cup triumph, are chasing their first European title since the 1984 UEFA Cup. Despite their recent struggles, they have already beaten United three times this season, twice in the Premier League (3-0, 1-0) and once in the League Cup (4-3).
Victory in the Europa League would also mark a major milestone for manager Ange Postecoglou, who boldly declared earlier this season that he “always wins a trophy in his second season.”
However, with Spurs languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, there are widespread reports the Australian may face the sack regardless of the European result.
Tottenham are staring down the barrel of their worst top-flight finish since their 1976/77 relegation, making success in Bilbao even more critical to reshaping the club’s narrative.
