Clearly Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur is a work in progress, but the fixture list continues on nonetheless. Spurs got the needed three points against Villarreal in the first matchweek of the League
Phase and now their Champions League campaign brings them back to a recent battlefield. Fellow Europa League semifinalists Bodo/Glimt made the leap to top competition as well and will not be the only familiar face Spurs see this phase.
Glimt is here after winning the Norwegian Eliteserien last season and taking down Sturm Graz in the Qualifying Playoff. Despite falling behind 2-0 at Slavia Prague (who Tottenham will face in December), Glimt fought back and scored two goals in the final 15 minutes to claim a point from Matchweek 1. The location makes this a trickier fixture, but Spurs know very well that this is a venue that can be conquered.
UCL League Phase MW2
Date: Tuesday, September 30
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Aspmyra Stadion, Bodo, Norway
TV: Paramount+ (US), TNT Sports 2 (UK)
Table: Glimt (t-15th, 1 pt), Tottenham (t-1st, 3 pts)
The head-to-head portion of this preview is more celebratory than informative. Thinking back to May, though, there was some concern after Ange Postecoglou’s side gave up a late goal in the first leg of last spring’s Europa League semifinals, forcing Tottenham to hang on to a two-goal lead at Aspmyra. The visitors kept it 0-0 until second-half goals by Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro in a 10-minute span secured Spurs trip to Bilbao.
Three Big Questions
Is Richarlison enough up top? Overall the Spurs attack still feels insufficient, and while much of that has to do with questionable ball progression ability from the rest of the squad, it has to be said that the No. 9 position has not been stellar either. This is not all Richarlison’s fault, but with Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani injured (and Mathys Tel unavailable in Europe), the burden has fallen squarely on the Brazilian.
It has not been a horrible effort so far, with three goals to lead the team including that ridiculous strike against Burnley in the season opener. But overall it feels like Frank needs more from his center forward, both in terms of goal scoring and in the build up. Maybe Richarlison will work his way into this new system, or maybe the alternate options will return soon, but either way, matches like these are where Spurs need a clinical striker, and right now that does not feel realistic.
Will the location make a difference? Dr. Tottenham’s panacea for Wolves aside, the quality gap between these sides is massive. However, road contests in Europe are rarely straightforward, and Glimt’s notorious homefield advantage feels like an obvious hurdle. Despite Spurs’ success last May, the context is much different with the Norwegian side not beginning the match down already needing to make up two goals.
Fortunately, the weather will not be a major factor, similar to the Europa semis (but will be a consider for City in January). Still, an enlivened group of supporters — excited to finally make it through the Champions League qualifying rounds and ready for revenge over Tottenham — will make this the type of atmosphere that could certainly see the visitors struggle. Glimt after have scored eight goals in three fixtures in this competition so far, and while the Spurs defense is a step above, there will still be belief and desire to keep scoring.
Should pragmatism make its encore? The script seemed doomed for Postecoglou the last time Spurs made the journey this far north, but instead the former manager took the appropriate approach and saw out the win. While Frank’s tactics differ significantly, there have been moments of leaky defense, which is not comforting given the new regime’s commitment to cleaning up the biggest gaps first.
Last season, Tottenham was content giving Glimt plenty of possession but still looked dangerous enough with the ball. Given that this can be a difficult road test, some a balance of pragmatism and opportunism seems warranted again. Glimt is a side that can sting, and the comeback against Slavia Prague is a good reminder that protecting a lead will not be easy, but the visitors should still be seeking out all three points.
