Ange Postecoglou knows what awaits in Norway, and he is not underestimating Bodo/Glimt one bit – ‘they are here on merit’, he says, as Tottenham Hotspur prepare for a crucial semi-final tie in Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur are well aware of the task that lies ahead over the next week – Spurs need to be at their best if they are to make it to the Europa League finals.
Awaiting them in the semi-finals is Bodo/Glimt, a side that might appear to be rather small when compared to Tottenham Hotspur on paper, but are very much capable of pulling an upset.
The Norwegian side is only making the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time in their history, but they have had a fair few standout performances in their European run.
This season alone, they have dispatched Lazio and Olympiacos, and they also famously dismantled AS Roma 6-1 when Jose Mourinho was in charge.
Of course, Thursday’s encounter is not the first time that Bodo/Glimt would be locking horns with Ange Postecoglou, as the Australian manager faced Kjetil Knutsen’s side when he was at Celtic, a game Ange lost.
Ange Postecoglou respects Bodo/Glimt ahead of Tottenham showdown
Speaking ahead of the game, Ange Postecoglou was asked about what he learned from his defeat to Bodo/Glimt as Celtic boss.
The Tottenham manager, who lost to the Norwegian outfit back in his Celtic days by a 5-1 aggregate scoreline, told football.london: “Same manager, similar style of play. When we played them with Celtic, our season had got off to a slow start but by then we were playing good football.
“The atmosphere at Celtic Park is incredible and they had just beat Roma, they will not be fazed by anything that comes tomorrow.
“The away game will be tricky as well, you are playing on an artificial surface in different conditions.”
He continued: “Bodo are there on merit. They beat Lazio, Olympiacos. They are tough teams. I am from the other side of the world. It does not matter where you are from. We are going to treat them with the respect they deserve and give our best.”
Tottenham receive boost as Bodo/Glimt miss key players
While Postecoglou will hope that another stunning defeat does not pop up over the next two legs, Spurs have received a few boosts ahead of the Glimt clash, with the Norwegian side expected to miss almost half of their first team.
When asked about the suspensions and the club missing key figures like Patrick Berg, Postecoglou said: “Missing Patrick Berg is a loss for them but I think it has always been more about what they do as a team rather than individuals. They have sold a lot of players over the past five years but they have kept doing well.”
On whether he would react like Jose Mourinho did following Roma’s 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt: “I am a bit different to Jose, yes. That is the kind of results they have had and it shows you have got to respect them. That is not a one-off either.”